


In Inceptum Finis Est

by CescaLR



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Ambiguous Relationships, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, M/M, Minor Character Death, Moral Ambiguity, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Theo Raeken, Post-Episode AU: s05e07 Strange Frequencies, Season/Series 05, Slow Burn, Tags May Change, Time Travel, hmmm, like it's post-redemption + a year Theo Raeken so some liberties are taken, look at our POV character, look that's all a given
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-22
Updated: 2020-09-12
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:53:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 32,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22840564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CescaLR/pseuds/CescaLR
Summary: Time travel. Well, that's a new one, at least.
Relationships: Lydia Martin & Theo Raeken, Lydia Martin/Jordan Parrish, Scott McCall & The McCall Pack, Scott McCall/Kira Yukimura, Stiles Stilinski & The McCall Pack, Stiles Stilinski/Malia Tate, Theo Raeken/Malia Tate, Theo Raeken/Stiles Stilinski
Comments: 17
Kudos: 100





	1. Ouroboros.

**Author's Note:**

> 1) don't start new fics when you're writing for a fest 2) have a new fic i've started writing during a fest 3) focus on your fest fics, kids 4) this is not my fest fic
> 
> alternative summary: idk steo shit

Theo woke with a gasp, searing pain in his neck and jaw, as he rolled and stumbled into a standing position, a very specific powder blue jeep sat upside down on the tarmac in front of him, fire licking at the dented metal and charred rubber of the vehicle.

Stiles was sprawled on his back, half-out of the burning car, head lolled on the tarmac, turned to the side and tilted uncomfortably far back.

Theo, on autopilot, scrambled forward and grabbed Stiles, didn't bother to try and find a fire extinguisher, didn't think to simply check with his nose and his ears if Stiles was okay - just fell to his knees next to Stiles once he'd pulled the human out of the wreckage, and pressed his hands onto his chest, once, twice, and Theo had never actually learnt CPR, only knew the pop culture - why would he know how to save people's lives, after all? - and so he leaned forward and slotted his mouth over Stiles', forced air into his lungs and pulled it back out again, constructed respiration, and as he pulled back at the quickening of Stiles' heartbeat Theo moved his hands away from the other's chest, then grabbed onto Stiles' hand and pulled, black veins spreading up his arm. Stiles jolted, head looking up sharply as he coughed, and he blinked rapidly at Theo before suspicious confusion took over, clouding his open features, causing a furrow in his brows, a certain heaviness to his eyes and the set line of his mouth.

"What the fuck was that?" Stiles asked, tone angry, his shoulders tense with pain relaxing as Theo took it from him. Stiles' eyes tracked downwards; from Theo's eyes, past his jaw, over his shoulder and down his arm. The human's gaze focused, with a surprised and bewildered, uncertain intent onto the black veins travelling over Theo's hand and up, up, under his sleeve.

"Saving your life." Theo stared back. There was a feeling to the pain, something under the nerve-sharp zing of fresh hurt; something older, a bone-deep ache, and then also something fresher, a pull on his shoulder.

"You alright?" Theo asked, and it - it wouldn't have fit his character at this time, but Theo has had to stomach a world without Stiles in it, a world that had never had a Stiles in it, _ever_. He doesn't want to have to go through that, again, and not only because it was maddening, feeling like he was the only person who wasn't crazy.

He wasn't, but there's only so many times you can brush aside people looking at you in bemused confusion, only so many times something you remember not matching up at all to what everyone else does can be rationalised away, even when you know the root cause. You start thinking you're the one who's misled, even when the facts prove you aren't.

Stiles' mouth twisted, then parted, but there was enough time for that nervous habit of his, an instinctive dart of his tongue between his lips before he answered. "I'm fine." He moved to stand, wrenching his arm free of Theo's lax grip, and Stiles didn't falter when his pain was directed back through him, and no longer diverted to Theo's nervous system.

"You're hurt," Theo said, as Stiles turned away to walk only a few feet from the still-on-fire wreckage of the jeep. He turned back around as he lowered himself to the ground, and stared at the shattered windows and dented hood of his mother's car, mouth still slightly parted, probably in a mix of shock and a wish to avoid tasting the metallic tang of another person's blood on his tongue.

"No shit," Stiles said, an admission likely as difficult as the one hed told Theo not minutes prior, on this day nearly a year into Theo's past.

"We should get you to the hospital," Theo tried, like he had last time, but easily far more genuine.

"I'm fine," Stiles repeated. He licked his lips again and then made a face, grimacing at the realisation of what it was he could taste, yet Stiles made no move to clean the blood smeared across his mouth by the CPR Theo had attempted, or splattering his face in other places like demented freckles.

He looks good. These days, after everything, Theo feels at least somewhat guilty about that mental admission, if only because of the fact that in Stiles' eyes there's a kind of hollow coldness directed inwards, thanks to things Theo caused, thanks to things Theo stood by and let happen, and thanks to things Theo didn't stop. It's due to more than that of course, it would be endlessly self-centred to think all of Stiles' trauma is Theo's fault, not to mention utterly stupid and non-sensical, but there's enough of it that Theo made happen, which...

Well.

"No thanks," Stiles said, as he stood. He made an aborted move in a gesture towards his jeep, taking a step forward as his facial expression changed, half-way imperceptibly if you didn't know him, to one of devastation.

The jeep meant a lot to him, Theo knows. And in a strange way, these days, it means a fair bit to Theo, too. It was the only thing of real proof, towards Stiles' existence, in the time he was gone.

Theo is glad, in part, that he never met the false Claudia.

"It looks like Parrish took the body."

Stiles immediately narrowed in on Theo, taking two steps towards him, eyes suspicious. Theo could curse himself for the slip-up, but he supposes it doesn't matter.

"I got a good look at his face," Theo explained, glad of his skill as a liar. Hell did a lot, Tara's efforts not in vain... but it couldn't kill a skill learnt through over a decade of practice. "Even on fire, you can tell. Its Parrish."

"... Great," Stiles said, taking his word for it - and no matter what he thought at this point, Theo knows Stiles must trust him somewhat, or he would never do something as - well, easily trusting as taking Theo's word for anything. Anything at all.

"What do we do now?" Theo asked... because he couldn't remember exactly how this went down next.

"We'll check, just in case," Stiles sighed, agitatedly running a hand through his hair before he dropped it back to his side, a streak of deep red blood (Theo's blood) now visible on the right side of his index finger. "And then..." he sighed again. "If nothing else... at least, since it;s Parrish, we know who to keep Lydia away from," he said, with a flat-tone and half-blank expression.

"I'll flip the Jeep," Theo said. He went to go find the fire extinguisher he'd used last time, and then put out the fires around the parking lot and in the vet's clinic. Of course, upon entering the room in which Josh's body had been stored, Stiles scowled and tightened his hands into fists, angry, resigned desperation sparking in his scent, sharp and bitter and sour and... tired.

Theo left Stiles to it, unsure of how to proceed, uncertain of what to _do,_ now he was here; now he'd been dropped, unceremoniously, into the past, with a version of Stiles that hated him, despite whatever trust he felt, and a Scott Theo hadn't killed yet, and a Kira who hadn't sent him to Hell, and a Lydia - well, Theo's pretty sure he's already sent Lydia to Eichen house, at this point in the timeline, but still. A Lydia who wasn't the only other person to remember Stiles in any capacity, Theo supposed, though... it's not like they bonded over that or anything. Half the time it made Theo like her less, for a reason that wasn't really her fault, much, and wasn't really his own fault, if you look at it in the right way. It's complicated and messy, and not something easily ratifiable. It's not something even Kira at her most optimistic could rationalise with the help of Scott at his most idealistic and Liam at his most nieve.

Theo sighed, left the fire extinguisher at the door, and stopped just standing around doing nothing, thinking about a time not yet past.

Theo flipped the jeep - more rolled it over, from being on its side to having its wheels firmly back on the ground. The thing was busted, for sure, worse than last time because the fire had more time to burn. Theo's just lucky it didn't blow up, he supposed. Well. In that respect, Stiles is the luckier one; since he'd been in it, and it was his jeep, after all.

"Fucking great," Stiles said. He walked over and popped the hood, coughed and waved aside the smoke that billowed up at his face, but ignored the potentially awful fumes as he peered, narrow-eyed, into the engine. Theo saw - broken parts, missing parts, hastily-cobbled-together parts, and lots of duct-tape. He saw a jeep barely hanging on, and honestly, Stiles probably only kept it running through sheer willpower. His willpower was capable of a lot, honestly. Theo liked to pay attention to it; the things Stiles had done, and how he had done them. And it's been a year since his 'redemption', for Theo, months since Stiles stopped grimace-glaring at him, radiating awkward ambivalence, and Theo's learned things heard stories straight from the source.

People using mountain ash in fun and exciting ways is normal, for Druids and Darachs, and even for most normal humans who don't involve themselves in any of that stuff. It's less normal for a perfectly average human (which, to be fair, Theo has never thought Stiles to be) to multiply a handful of mountain ash to cover a much farther distance than it should be able to, and it's not normal for someone to be able to look into the Anuke-Ite's eyes and _not_ turn to stone, even if their worst fear is blindness.

Which Theo doesn't buy a _single bit,_ by the way. Not even a little. Scott's worst fear - failing his friends, the people around him, and failure in general? Logical, and understandable in an emotional context alongside that. Blindness just comes out of left field, for Stiles. It's completely ridiculous, and Theo doesn't get it. He'd get a lot of other simple and common fears because the death of loved ones and being forgotten or all alone or - hurting the ones you love, they all make _sense_ where blindness just doesn't.

"It'll take more than duct-tape to fix that," Theo said. Stiles ignored him, which was fair.

"Look," Theo said. "Call your dad, he'll need to know it's Parrish. We can... get an intervention staged. See if he knows he's doing it. Plus, someone's going to have to get your jeep to a garage."

Stiles kicked the jeep, fished out his phone from his pocket, and stared down at it.

At that moment, the police radio, which had somehow managed to survive Parrish's attack (just like last time), crackled to life. It didn't sound great, and it kept shorting out, but the most important parts came through.

"sus- 1-8-7 - en rou- -tion."

"Suspect in homicide is in custody and en route to the station," Stiles mumbled, He looked up, away from his phone, which was shoved absently back into his pocket as his gaze turned to Theo.

"Yukimura -" Crackled through. Stiles jolted, eyes widening.

"Kira," Theo said. "So a 1-8-7..."

"Don't pretend you didn't hear me," Stiles snapped, spinning on his heel. "Come on, it's not far." Stiles took his phone out of his pocket as he half-ran, half walked _very quickly_ in the direction of the station; Theo was faster by default, being supernatural by nature (regardless of said supernatural status being manufactured), so he kept stride without hurrying to catch up.

"Come on, pick up," Stiles muttered, jabbing the call button next to his Dad's contact. It rang out, wasn't picked up, and Stiles cursed before trying again. He gave it five more shots before angrily grunting (half-growling, really, Stiles spent too much time around wolves... and most likely Malia; she never kicked that habit in human form, and they picked up a lot from each other) and shoving the phone into his pocket. He broke out into a proper run at that, and Theo exerted no real effort in keeping up with him. They arrived at the station a moment too late; the doors were swinging shut behind Kira and her 'entourage'. 

"Crap," Stiles said, chest rising and falling as he caught his breath. "Fuck, goddamnit."

"Well, it's a good thing," Theo said, quickly, "Because we're still covered in my blood."

Stiles looked at him, as Theo wiped uselessly at the dried blood on his chin.

"Shit, right," Stiles said, spinning around, his back to the station. "This way."

Stiles snuck them in the back, into a staff toilet. With quick and brutal efficiency, Stiles scrubbed the blood from his face with the air of someone far too used to this. Theo did the same, though both of their situations were vastly different in _how_ they got used to it.

They left the station again and re-entered through the front.

"What the fuck is going on here?" Stiles demanded when the Deputies attentions were drawn his way by the doors slamming open. "Where's my dad?"

"Through there, Stiles, but you can't go in - there's an interrogation -"

"Fuck an interrogation, Kira's my friend and she's goddamn innocent, where's her mom? She needs a lawyer-"

"Stiles-"

"James, shut up - you," Stiles gestured, "New guy. What's going on?"

It's still very interesting that these people listen to Stiles, who for all intents and purposes _is_ just some eighteen-year-old with a very obstinant and demanding streak layered over a tendency to _actively break the law._ Disregarding any accidental manslaughter, this is still the guy that has illegal access to a lot of places and has stolen his fair share of shit. It's still kind of funny, to Theo, even now, that Stiles becomes an _FBI_ agent.

Theo supposes Stiles was always going to run background checks, stalk newcomers (like Theo, which is valid, and like Kira - though he didn't do that as much, what with being possessed at the time and all - which is less) and interfere anyway; he might as well do all of that legally. He probably only did it so the whole process would be easier and weigh less on his dad's shoulders, Theo's pretty sure. And perhaps just to make life more annoying for Agent McCall.

"Strauss," Strauss introduced himself, "Um, far as I've gathered, Kira Yukimura was picked up as a major suspect in a homicide." He grimaced. "Teen with a collapsible sword skewered right through her chest, identified as belonging to Miss Yukimura. She was found walking down the middle of a street." He said, simply.

"Who called it in?" Stiles asked.

"Your dad did." Stiles turned around - Melissa was standing, agitated, in the waiting area. "My dad?" Stiles repeated, a hidden wariness under the inquisitive tone. "Yes." Melissa's lips were thin, her expression unhappy. "I'm here as a witness at the crime scene," She said. "I didn't see the murder."

"Right," Stiles said. He started pacing.

" _Someone get those cuffs off her."_ Theo heard. 

"Her Dad is on his way," Melissa said. "And her Mom."

"We're here," Noshiko said, her and her husband standing in the doorway. "Where's our daughter?" Ken asked.

"If she was actually involved, it was self-defence." Theo heard the Sheriff, louder than before.

Melissa gestured to the office his voice emanated from - it's door was still open, so Kira's interrogation must have just been about to start - Ken and Noshiko immediately walked over and entered that room.

"That's correct, Sheriff," Ken said.

Theo remembered how badly this all went; last time, that was to his advantage. Now. Now he's just not sure what to _do._

If he'd been thrown back earlier, before he'd started this mess, when he'd just got here - or later, after Hell - maybe he'd have some sort of cobble-together-able plan. But he doesn't, not now, with half his previous plans enacted and unable to be stalled in their motion, and the other half no longer able to be put in place, which might just end up making everything worse.

He could take the fall for Stiles, still, because he sent Donovan after him. But this? This is the Dread Doctor's fault. And he can't explain how he knows that, because he'd lied too much already.

Theo grimaced, an expression of emotion he hadn't allowed himself last time, and caught Melissa's eyes. She returned the expression in kind, an understanding of the hopelessness of this situation passing between them.

If he'd only been sent back an hour earlier. If he'd run off to go get Kira before they could pick her up - or if he'd run to the McCall's house, to stop the Sheriff calling in the murder...

They'll all still hate him, in this new history's inevitable future. That much is certain. There's not much Theo can do, short of pretend he's from a different universe and isn't the Theo that did all these things. And while that's _tempting,_ and it's plausible - after all, they've been through enough fuckery, he can pretend things are different that aren't and they'll probably just roll with it - it's not...

He's reminded of Tara, again, as he is when he thinks of acting _too_ self-serving. Theo sighed.

"Who was it?" Theo asked Melissa.

"I'm not sure," She admitted.

Scott showed up, then. The Yukimuras were talking with the Sheriff and Kira... looked lost, when she stepped out of the office. Scott took her aside, radiating wary concern, sparing a worried glance for his mother, an unreadable glance for Stiles, and another worried glance for Theo - and Theo tuned their conversation out. He knows what it's going to be about and there really was nothing they could do about this. Noah was going to have to arrest Ken. This was the situation the Sheriff had put them in.

Theo could hear Stiles grinding his teeth together, but from the outside, Stiles looked fairly calm, though his lips were pressed together too tight.

"Melissa," Theo said, "Stiles. There's nothing we can do, here."

"I know." Melissa sighed, shoulders drooping. "Do you need a lift home?"

"To the clinic," Theo said. Stiles' shoulders stiffened, and Melissa didn't miss it.

"Stiles' jeep broke down," Theo said. "Nearby. And I left my car there."

Melissa nodded, already walking out of the station. Stiles hesitated but followed behind them. Theo got in the back, for Stiles' sake, and sat in the middle seat.

"So," He said, leaning forward. "That was definitely Kira's sword."

"It wasn't her, though." Stiles snapped.

It's complicated because it's not the same situation, but Stiles won't be able to think about it objectively. Kira _is_ her fox; Stiles was possessed _by_ a fox. The kitsune doing all this is Kira at her most extreme, amplified and exploited by the Dread Doctors to help them exterminate their failed experiments and to cause problems for Scott's pack, in order to keep them distracted and out of the way. The Doctors don't actually consider them enough of a threat, at this point, to interfere directly. Beyond the directness of manipulating Kira's fox spirit, of course. But that's how the Dread Doctors think of it - their perspective is as far from human as it is possible for a human's perspective to get. Given that's what they are, at their core, beneath what they've done to themselves in service of resurrecting Sebastian.

The sky was still dark, out, but it's only early morning - the sun should rise in a couple of hours. They've got time to track down Malia and tell her what's happened, and they've got time to talk to Lydia, and they've got time to talk to Mason and Corey, and they've got time until Scott digs his claws into Corey's neck, proves that right now, at this point in the timeline, Scott's not doing so well. And that's Theo's fault, of course. Not _entirely;_ a break was bound to happen at one point or another. But a lot of it is Theo's manipulations and their inevitable culmination.

"Boys," Melissa said, tone demanding. Stiles tightened his jaw.

"All I'm saying," Theo said, "Is that Kira's kitsune is out of her control. We're currently learning that the Dread Doctors can manipulate memory - who's to say they haven't done that to Kira?"

Stiles looks at Theo, turning his torso in order to give him the most suspicious glare possible.

" _Seatbelts,"_ Melissa stressed. Stiles ignored her.

"What are you saying?" Stiles said. "They're Dread _Doctors._ Chimaeras might not be their only experiments. Kira's kitsune side wasn't like this before, right?"

Stiles didn't respond. "It wasn't," Melissa confirms. "So you think the 'Doctors' have been -" She grimaced "- experimenting on Kira?"

"Wouldn't it make sense?" Theo said. "Sow dissent. Get us distracted by internal strife so it's harder to focus on what they're up to. Maybe they're controlling it. We don't know the extent of what they can do."

"You think they're using Kira to clean up their messes?" Stiles said. There was a tone of - interested surprise, like that made _sense,_ clearing a path of thought he could follow.

"Could be," Theo said, "Could be just a side effect. Happy for them."

"Horrible for us," Stiles said, dryly. "Right."

Melissa looked at Theo through the rear-view mirror. "So you're saying Kira killed her because -"

"It's a theory," Theo said, "But the Doctors could have sent her after Kira-"

"In order to get rid of her," Stiles finished, frowning. "Or to get rid of Kira - or to get rid of both. Because they don't like their _'experiments'_ laying around, doing nothing for them."

"They've got a goal," Theo said, "Or they wouldn't be calling entirely new species of supernaturals that are immune to many of our weaknesses 'failures'. Maybe -"

"What they're trying with Kira is something they hope to incorporate into their experiments," Stiles said, "To improve the chances of success?"

"You heard Kira," Theo said. "She's blacking out. She doesn't remember when this stuff happens. Maybe -"

"They've awakened something in Kira," Stiles said. "So, what, they're trying to awaken something in their chimaeras? A stronger power? More control over their creations?"

Close. So, so _close._

"I think so." Theo looked at them both. "I mean, it makes sense. It's all I can think of."

"No, you're right," Melissa nodded. "I can't think of why they'd be doing this otherwise."

"If they just wanted an army they've already got the means, though," Stiles said, "So more control doesn't make that much sense. They _could_ just be looking for the _perfect supernatural,_ maybe?"

Perfect _evil._ God, he's so _close,_ Stiles just don't have the information he needs yet.

"The extermination is probably to cover their tracks," Melissa pointed out. They pulled up in front of the vet's, and her eyes widened at the state of the parking lot and the jeep residing in it.

"Oh god," She said, as she got out of the car. Theo and Stiles exited, too, as she stood, dumbfounded.

"We were keeping an eye on another chimaera," Stiles said. "It had cornered us at the hospital - well, me, and -"

"Stiles was - in the middle of the flashbacks the book's causing us," Theo said, "I found him in time to protect him from Josh, but the Doctors showed up -"

"Boys," Melissa said, again. "Slower."

"Right," Stiles said.

"We were on watch over Josh's body, because we needed to see who's taking the chimaeras' corpses," Theo said, "and we were attacked by -"

"Parrish," Stiles said, heavily. "Parrish is the one taking the bodies."

Melissa gasped. Stiles walked over to the jeep, ran a hand over the rim of a busted headlight. Stiles ducked into the jeep and turned the keys in the ignition; the car didn't start after five tries, so he took out a screwdriver and hotwired it. 

Theo's lips twitched.

"Stiles," Melissa said, softly. "I don't think..."

Stiles flicked on the headlights, which flickered weakly - the left one gave out, but the right one soldiered on.

"I know," Stiles said. He bit his lip, then sighed, and ducked back out of the jeep. "Still runs, though," He said, patting the hood. "Not dead yet."

"Close," Melissa said. She walked over and popped the hood - Stiles winced as she retched at the cloud of fumes that burst forth, not as used to it as Stiles was.

"What _is_ that?" Melissa coughed. Stiles shrugged. "No idea," He said.

Melissa blinked down. "That's... Stiles, that's dangerous. You... you need more than a fix you need a whole new _engine._ Stiles - the battery has _duct tape on it."_

"I know." Stiles scowled, reflexively, but his expression cleared before Melissa could see it.

"It..." Melissa hesitated. "Stiles, it... might be time to get a new jeep."

Stiles' jaw tightened.

"Couldn't afford one anyway," He bit out, tone clipped. Melissa stepped back, as Stiles shut the hood, then got in the car. "It drives. That's all that matters."

"It's not roadworthy," Theo said.

"He's right, Stiles, what if you crash?"

"I'm only taking it to the garage." Stiles finished adjusting the bent rear-view mirror. "Well. Home first. I need to get the blood out of the ceiling. We can't just call a tow, they'd ask questions."

Melissa grimaced... because that was true.

"Look, just," Theo said, "we have a tow attachment, from the move - just... throw a tarp over it, I'll pick it up tomorrow."

"Stiles," Melissa said, at Stiles' unwilling expression. "It's a safe idea."

"We need to deal with Josh's disappearance." Theo reminded him. "Parrish..."

Stiles closed his eyes, for a moment. "Fine." He got out of the car, and Melissa let out a breath.

"Good," Theo said, "Now you won't be driving in a car that was recently _on fire,_ let's..."

"Call Noah," Melissa sighed, after sparing a glare of concerned anger at Stiles. Less anger, really, more... frustration. "I'll call Noah. You boys need to go home and get some rest."

"My car's still at the hospital," Theo said - because that was true, and sometimes the truth is your most useful tool.

"I'll drive you there," She said. "And -"

"I'm close by." Stiles gestured down the road, left, towards Main Street. "I can walk it."

"No you won't," Melissa said, sharply. "Your jeep was on fire."

"Smoke inhalation, too," Theo said, taking great pleasure in Stiles' annoyance. Theo was only _helping_ this time. "And he whacked his head on the ground when the jeep was flipped."

"Flipped?" Melissa said. She turned to Stiles. "Flipped!"

"I'm fine," Stiles said, firmly. "No concussion. Nothing. Lungs are a-okay. The only person hurt was _Theo_ because he was punched in the face by a man on _fire."_

"But I'm a werewolf," Theo said. "You're not."

"Thank _god,"_ Stiles said. "I'm going home."

"Then I'm walking with you."

"I can drop you off first," Melissa offered. "Boys, please. It's not safe to be walking around town."

Stiles probably wanted to be openly suspicious of Theo, but he caved at Melissa's unyielding expression. "Fine." Stiles walked to Melissa's car, and that was probably the best they were going to get.

Theo went inside and found a tarp, thankfully, and returned to throw it over the jeep, before he got inside Melissa's car and sat, once again, in the middle of the back.

"Your house is closer, Stiles." Melissa looked at Theo in the rear-view mirror. "Are you sure you're going to be safe alone tonight?"

"I'm not - I'm not going to be alone," Stiles said. "Malia will... show up."

Theo grimaced. He might've killed Scott for about five minutes - but he _ruined_ this relationship. He manipulated both of them and shoved himself between them, and it just - one of the worst things he did. And, yes, they would probably have ended up going through something _similar,_ eventually, because there was no way in hell Malia's mother would stay away, and there was no way Stiles' hands would stay relatively clean forever, but... it wouldn't have gone as badly as this. They surely wouldn't have broken up.

And his intent to break them up - it was only a byproduct of his... stronger wishes. Sure. Malia's an attractive person, physically, and they have similarities. But that wasn't why he attempted to seduce her, not entirely. If he'd had to choose between having Stiles and Malia on his team, he'd have chosen Stiles in a heartbeat.

He was just. Better than her, to put it bluntly, in the ways that mattered to Theo. Still is, if he's honest, and he's... trying at least a little to be more of that.

"I see." Melissa nodded. "Well, if you're sure." They pulled up outside the Stilinski's home; it was quiet and dark. Theo wasn't sure where Malia was. I was _possibly_ something to do with her mother, but... he admits it's all kind of blurred together, the timeline; three months in Hell is - long enough to get some things mixed up in your head. Long enough to forget others.

Thankfully - perhaps the _only_ good thing about it - being in another plane of existence exempted him from the Wild Hunt's effect. So he'd never forgotten Stiles.

"Right," Stiles said, quietly, then got out of the car and went inside. Melissa waited until the door shut behind him and a light turned on, then pulled back off the drive and onto the street.

"Did the Doctors kill Josh?" Melissa asked, abrupt. Theo turned, surprised, gaze ripping from the street passing by and landing on the woman's reflection in the rear-view mirror.

Her lips were tightly pressed together, but her eyes were understanding in their hardness. "He was trying to kill Stiles," Theo said, in lieu of an admission of guilt. "Does it matter?"

"... To the Sheriff, it will." That was a warning, Theo could tell. Her scent held a tang of - bitterness. A sour taste of angry betrayal.

"Was it Stiles?" She asked.

"No," Theo said, honestly.

"If Scott found out, he wouldn't like it," Melissa told him, "But he'd understand it."

"He belives Kira did it," Theo said. "And he lied to her face about that."

"We're all making mistakes, lately," Melissa said. "I couldn't reach Scott or Stiles, earlier, it's why I called Noah."

"Lydia was free." Theo looked at the back of Melissa's head. "And she's the banshee."

"I don't have her number," Melissa admitted. Theo, wordlessly, took out and unlocked his phone. They pulled to a stop in the half-deserted car park outside the hospital.

"Will I need to cover anything up?" Melissa asked, taking out her own phone.

"It happened on the roof," Theo said. "I tossed his body down the side of the building, in the alley. There might be some blood and some bits of DNA from us -"

"I'll check the CCTV." Melissa's lips tightened again. "And I'll check if the janitors have done their rounds yet."

Theo read out the numbers of the pack members that Melissa didn't have the contact details for (that he had), which she saved into her phone and labelled as emergency contacts.

"Thanks," Theo said, as he got out of the car. "Theo," Melissa said, and Theo looked at her. "Promise me you'll look out for them." She looked him dead in the eyes.

"That's all I've been trying to do," Theo said. "Guess I just turned up late."

Melissa's mouth turned up at the corners, a comforting smile. "Better late than never," She said, cliche and aware of it. Theo nodded, returned the smile (less genuine, of course, because he'd been lying to her this whole conversation, because this Theo, at this point in time, had not been just trying to help _at all)_ as he shut the door. Melisa drove off home.

Well. Theo turned to his car, got into the driver's side, and then sighed, leant back. He was a little too used to falling asleep in this position, so he had to shake himself slightly before he turned the ignition, placed his hands on the wheel and his foot on the gas then drove off to the cover home the Doctors had given him out of necessity.

The parents were in bed, at this point of the day, the man snoring away. Theo had _crushed_ the bones in his hand, so it'd be a while before he healed. It would never be the same, which had been the point at the time, but...

There's a lot he wishes these days that he could do over again. First being to stay away from the Dread Doctors - with Mason, they'd get what they wanted anyway. The second was to not kill Tara, third was to stay in Beacon Hills, and fourth was, by extension, to undo all the damage he'd dealt while working under the Doctors' orders.

Even after a year, Stiles never quite dropped all of his suspicion around Theo. Malia never, _ever_ stopped being angry, which was very fair, and Scott was... well, the poster child for 'forgive but don't forget'. Always had been, really. Liam was the nicest, half because he was an idiot and half because... well, difficult situations can lead towards friendship, even between the least likeliest of people. Not that Theo had ever hated Liam - he'd just been... a pawn, in Theo's greater chess game against Scott and the Dread Doctors. A very complicated game, where all the pieces on the board were able to be played by all the pieces on the board, dozens of players and dozens of pieces all trying to checkmate different kings.

Theo dropped into bed. He had things to do, tomorrow.

* * *

Theo made a detour, after a few hours sleep, before heading over to Scott's house to witness the inevitable continuation of the downward spiral this whole situation was following. He arrived at the tunnels, took the route the Doctors used least, and retrieved some of the resurrection-and-life-prolonging serum from the Löwenmensch's stasis chamber.

He could pull the plug,

Theo looked around. He could hear the Doctors in the other chamber, busy with Hayden and Liam and unaware of him. He could pull the plug. He could kill Douglas now. It would save them a lot of issues, later.

He could. And he should.

Theo knew how to use this chamber. He'd had to monitor it, for the Doctors. The stuff in there, the liquid, it kept them alive as much as it kept Douglas alive. And it was useful, for the Doctors, to have a way to resurrect their experiments if they died during conversion.

Theo walked over to the tube leading from the chamber, into another, this one storage for the helium that kept Douglas alive.

He flicked the switch, flipping the direction. The helium would be sucked out - some of the serum too, but mostly just the helium. Theo quickly set about getting as much of the serum as he could, before he hastily made a retreat (after cleaning the machines of his prints, of course) back to his Toyota. 

Theo dropped the syringes into the backseat, settled into the driver's seat, and hightailed it out of there. He didn't have anywhere to store them - but there was one thing he needed to do, first.

"You've been fired." Theo looked at the false parents. "Leave town. Take nothing with you, even the car. Say you're going on holiday. I'm eighteen, so it's fine leaving me here, and you want to see if I'll be able to look after myself at university. Stay gone for as long as possible. Forever would be best. Fake your death and make a new identity if you want, I don't care."

They looked at him with wide eyes.

"And if you try anything," He said. "We'll find you."

A hitch in the man's breath, water in both sets of eyes. Theo held back a grimace of regret.

"Be gone by tomorrow," Theo said, trying for unaffected. This was the best he could do for them, given the circumstances.

After that, Theo took the serum to the only place he could think of. He went into the industrial district, into the old, abandoned warehouse-turned-makeshift-skatepark. He went into the back, down the stairs to the basement, and hid everything in a crate in the back left corner.

And, finally, with these errands out of the way, Theo made his way to Scott's house.

* * *

He arrived to chaos, of course. Scott had just clawed Corey in the back of his neck.

Malia noticed him, then Stiles, then the rest of the gathered people standing around outside the bedroom.

"What's going on?" Theo asked. Malia let him through, and he pretended to be confused by the sight that he came across. "What's he doing?"

"Where were you?" Malia asked.

"Where were you?" Theo returned. She blinked, then looked away.

"Looking through his memories." Lydia didn't seem happy about it, but of course, she wasn't. Looks like Theo hadn't sent her to Eichen, yet, but she'd had plenty of experience so far, if not first-hand. "It's usually something only alphas do."

"Scott's an alpha," Theo stated, uselessly.

"Not the normal kind." Lydia stared at Scott's face, from profile view. "Don't get too close."

"Is it... as dangerous as it looks?" Theo said, trying to remember the script.

"Probably more," Stiles said, tone tinged with wary concern. "Definitely more."

"Is it working?" Mason asked.

"Yeah," Stiles said. "That's what it looks like when it's working."

"How do you know?" Mason asked, tone heavy with worry and tinged, barely, with curiosity.

"Because it looks a lot worse when it isn't," Lydia said. Mason's scent sharpened with the acrid scent of fear. Theo felt bad for him, he really did. Mason had even less choice in this than anyone else did. Being The Beast wasn't something he could control, and it most definitely wasn't his choice.

And there wasn't a way to stop it. Theo would just have to let all that play out, let Lydia scream at him -

And then the Wild Hunt would come. Possibly. Theo still didn't know why they chose Beacon Hills, exactly. He knew it was something to do with Douglas, knew it was something to do with the town, knew it was something to do with Sebastian. But he just - wasn't a hundred per cent sure. 

Scott gasped, stumbled, and then there was a commotion, same as last time. But Theo walked over to see the drawing when Stiles did, and he made a noise of recognition. "I remember," He said. "Yeah, we used to skate there."

"It's the water treatment plant," Lydia said.

"That's where they are," Scott said, relief flooding his tone. Oh, if only he knew what was going to happen next. "That's where we'll find Liam and Hayden."

"Then we need to plan," Stiles said, but Scott was already off, out of the room and down the hall, Malia and Mason close behind. "Scott!" Stiles called out, going after him. "Scott, Scott, slow down. We need to think we need to - "

"I am thinking," Scott said, turning around. "I'm thinking about how if we don't hurry, Liam and Hayden could be dead."

"Which is why we need to slow down," Lydia said, in turn. "Scott, you could have really hurt him. If we don't stop to think, long enough to get together a plan, then Liam and Hayden _will_ be dead. Scott, the last time we went rushing off without a plan - "

"We never have a plan," Scott said.

"That's not reassuring," Theo said.

"Shut up, Theo," Stiles said, "Scott, just - you need to stop, just for a second. Mason shouldn't be going -"

"If you're not coming -"

"I _am going,"_ Mason said, firmly, "Liam's my best friend -"

"I _am_ coming, I just need to talk to my dad, they're moving the body and they know it's Parrish if Melissa went through with telling my dad but they aren't prepared to deal with that-"

"Mom told your dad?"

"She had to," Stiles said, impatiently. "They're trying to move the body without it being taken -"

"They're not gonna be able to do that," Malia said.

"I know," Stiles said, sharply.

"We know," Theo said, "Parrish is strong. He flipped the jeep, knocked me out cold for a good few minutes."

"See, we don't have time to plan," Scott said, "We have to go, now."

"No we _don't,"_ Lydia stressed, "I hate to say it, but if the Doctors follow their M.O. then Hayden will be in a very delicate situation right now if we interrupt it could _kill_ her, Scott -"

"We have to do _something -"_

"Not this," Stiles tried, "Scott, not _this -"_

"I'm going," Malia said, "We don't leave anyone behind, right? They're our friends, we have to save them."

"That's great, Malia, but we need a _plan_ to do that," Stiles said, frustrated annoyance seeping through and dulling his panic. 

"I have to find Liam," Scott said, helplessly. "We know where they are," Stiles protested, "We know! Scott -"

But Scott had turned around, was already leaving the room.

"Call me, text me - for anything," Stiles said, Malia spared him a glance, "I got it," She said, fast, looking away before finishing her sentence. "Anything at all," Stiles repeated, insistent, but Malia ignored him, and a second later all three were gone.

Stiles took a breath, and someone else might not have noticed, but Theo spied the barest hint of a shake to his hands.

"Alright, fine, _fuck,"_ Stiles spat out, "Lydia, Parrish - "

"I know," She said, "I'll drive," And then they were gone, too.

Theo turned to Corey.

"Are you alright?" He asked. Corey hadn't deserved any of this, either.

"Not really," Corey said. "Well, you don't have to read the book anymore," Theo said. "But Scott shouldn't have done that, no matter how desperate he was. He should've asked."

Theo hadn't asked Lydia, and she'd gone vegetative. Better than anyone else at this point in the timeline, he knew the consequences of a botched memory read.

Corey's eyes flicked down, face tilted towards the ground, as he raised a hand to the back of his neck again.

"He's not wrong," Theo said, "It will heal. Fast."

"It's almost done already," Corey said. "So there's that." He scoffed and looked away, started for the door. "It's been fun, I guess, you know, a werewolf shoving his claws into my neck and perusing my mind like a bookstore, but I think I'll be going now,"

"Corey," Theo said. "Please. When a werewolf does that, it unlocks the memories. If nothing else - you can go - just, please, give us a better chance of finding our friends. Is there anything more specific that you remember? Anything at all?"

"The hopsitals," Corey said. "They took me out of my room... then the tunnels. That's _it."_

"Corey, just think. For one minute. There has to be more, just. Just think."

Corey sighed, looked away, then sighed again. He concentrated, though Theo already knew what he'd say.

"There was a basement," He said. "A - a house's basement, with - a broken stone wall. Like... a bomb went off."

"Alright," Theo said. "You can go, if you want," He said, "But you'll be vulnerable to the Doctors if you do. I need to go talk to Stiles and Lydia - I think I know where that might be -"

"Alright," Corey nodded, "I'll come with you."

* * *

Stiles was sat in the waiting room of the hospital. Lydia was nowhere to be seen, and Stiles surreptitiously pocketed his library card when he saw them. "Theo," Stiles said, sharply, "What-?"

"Corey remembered more," Theo said, grateful he'd stopped Stiles making that particular mistake. "It's - I think it's the basement, you know, when that first Chimaera attacked, and Parrish said it barreled through -"

"The wall," Stiles nodded, standing. "Alright, so, we going then?"

"Are you sure?" Theo asked, "Where's Lydia?"

"Talking to Parrish," Stiles said, agitation seeping through.

Corey looked at Stiles, confused. "I thought you said -"

"I did," Stiles said, sharply. "Melissa didn't get in contact in time. Or just didn't."

"Well, what do we do?"

"Hope nothing goes horribly wrong," Stiles said, just as the elevator doors burst open and a very on-fire Parrish stormed through the (thankfully empty) hallway.

"Thank god they vacated the premises," Stiles muttered, stepping back and flattening himself against the wall. Theo dragged Corey over, too, as the teen stared, scared stiff, and therefore useless.

Lydia burst through the stairwell, Deputy Clarke and Noah on her heels. 

"Parrish!" She yelled. " _Jordan!"_ She screamed louder, and Parrish stopped in his tracks. He turned, jostling the dead body in his arms, and looked at her.

"Go," Stiles said, "Theo, _go."_

Theo went, leaving Corey with Stiles, to go do what he did last time.

* * *

And like last time, they all ended up at Melissa's house.

Because, like last time... there was nothing that could be really done, at this point. From this point, yes, but everything up until now couldn't just be undone because a somewhat-redeemed version of himself had travelled back in time. Theo knew that. It was still unpleasant, to know what was coming. At least this time, Theo wouldn't be poisoning Scott with wolfsbane, which should lessen his usage of his inhaler - but his asthma coming back was its own thing. Scott's worry manifesting physically. Theo just took advantage of it. And the distance Malia made between herself and the pack - that was self-made. The Desert Wolf was just another situation Theo had taken advantage of. To get Malia out of the way, after he'd decided to cut his losses when it came to getting her on his side. And Donovan - perhaps Theo is the most culpable for what happened to Scott and Stiles, out of what happened to everyone (excluding Lydia, who was clearly entirely Theo's fault, and doing fine until he assaulted her mind).

This time, at least going forward, Theo would... try. Like how he tried with Liam and tried to prove himself to everyone, after Hell. Because he has to do it all over again. At least this time he hasn't killed anyone (that they care about, or know about, or will probably ever know about, except Tara, of course). Hasn't killed Scott. Hasn't quite managed to tear apart Stiles and Malia, hasn't gotten Lydia locked away in Eichen house. Hasn't... done half of the horrible shit he did, because he travelled to halfway through his time here, before Hell.

Theo sighed, as he stepped away from the last hug - Malia, who's smile was genuine, and Theo wasn't only lacking one because Stiles was scowling at him from across the room, suspicious as always - then moved away. Scott left to hide in his room and have that chat with his mother, and later he'd go see Kira before she left.

Theo sat outside, on the patio, feet on the grass.

"You saved Liam and Hayden, today," Lydia said. "Thank you."

"It's what anyone would have done," Theo said, lying through his teeth.

"We both know that's not true."

Lydia sat down on the patio near him, heels placed neatly on the steps down to the grass, ankles crossed. "I think you're the only good thing that's happened to us." Lydia sighed. 

Now would be the time, Theo thought. But he's not that selfless.

"I hope so," He said, instead. "Not that I'm the _only_ good thing. But that I'm one of them."

She laughed, slightly. "Yeah, that would be a bit narcissistic."

Well, that just fits Theo perfectly, doesn't it?

"I _am_ a bit narcissistic," Theo said, smirking.

Lydia laughed again. "In that we are similar," She said. "But I mean it. You did a good thing today."

She placed a hand on his shoulder, leant forward to look at his face, properly. "I think... now, after everything... it would be unfair to not consider you pack. I think Scott thinks that too." Her lips quirked up, after the sincerity. "Also, we can't really handle a feral omega on top of everything else, so..."

"I appreciate it," Theo said, genuinely, a pang of guilt in his stolen heart.

She squeezed, before standing. "Come inside?" She asked. "We're making popcorn."

Theo raised his eyebrows at her, and she shrugged. "Junk food," She said. "Something fun and easy after... today."

"The past month, you mean," Theo said. He stood, and followed the redhead inside.

"There you are," Malia said. "Pepperoni or plain cheese?"

"Pepperoni," Theo offered. Malia smiled, nodded, and went back into the kitchen.

"Well, you're still here," Stiles said, having not followed Malia back into the room. "What drinks do we need, Lydia?"

"Why are you asking me?" She asked, frowning. "And - Stiles. He saved two people's lives today."

"I know," Stiles said. "You're the best at parties, and this is a laid-back celebration. Nobody died today, hooray."

Lydia pressed her lips together. "Just get some sodas, some people like coke and some don't," She said, "And make sure there's plenty of water and juice because some people don't like carbonated drinks." Stiles nodded, but she took hold of his arm before he could leave.

"And?" She prompted. Stiles' jaw tightened. "Theo?" He said.

"I don't mind," Theo replied. Stiles scoffed in disbelief but nodded.

Lydia sighed, then let him go.

"I get why Danny had that assessment of you, sometimes," She said, simply, before brushing past him and entering the kitchen.

Theo winced and didn't force it to be only mentally. Because Stiles was right, really, and Lydia was the one being fooled. At least, about the Theo that they both had known up until today - or, slightly more than today.

"And I get why I used to think you were forty per cent evil on a good day, sometimes," Stiles muttered, annoyed, and didn't enter the kitchen; he walked over, instead, to the dining room, which was the only unoccupied space. Not private, though, because half the house was filled with weres or chimaeras - but at least, there was the illusion of privacy.

Theo winced, again, because he knew Stiles was harsh when he was angry, and he'd liked when that was directed anyone's way, once, but - the anger wasn't _anger,_ per se, and Theo understood him better, now.

Stiles dropped into a chair, rested his head in his hands for a moment, before he realised Theo had followed him into the room.

"What do you want?" Stiles asked. He looked tired.

"What happened at the hospital?" Theo asked. "After I left?"

"Oh, this and that," Stiles waved a hand, dismissively. "Lydia got Parrish to vaguely explain what he was doing in a really... round-about way, something about being a hellhound and being linked to banshees and some other crap, Lydia's going to explain it tomorrow, probably, and it's just more research we'll have to do. But otherwise, not much, because Parrish still went out to the Nemeton to get rid of the body, so Ken was still let off because there wasn't anything to convict him for."

"The bloody sword doesn't count?" Theo asked. Stiles snorted. "Not when it's got Kira's prints on it it doesn't," Stiles said. "Ken wouldn't have been convicted anyway. It was a flimsy alibi. No judge or jury would have thought him guilty. Hell, they'd be more likely to convict Melissa."

"Why?" Theo asked.

"Because she was _there._ Ken wasn't. Ken was at the Yukimura's home - and Melissa found her impaled on that kitchen table," Stiles said, gesturing into the kitchen through the closed doors. They both caught Malia looking their way, listening in to their conversation, and a very conflicted look passed over her face for a brief moment, before she half-smiled at them and went back to ordering supplies with Lydia.

"Right," Stiles muttered, and Theo scented uneasy discomfort from Malia.

Theo shifted, feeling guilty again. He sat down, pulled out a chair one down from Stiles and turned it to face him; Stiles mirrored the action, turning his chair to face Theo, so as not to be at a disadvantage.

"So." Theo looked at Stiles, searched his face for a clue to anything he couldn't get from the other's scent or always-fluctuating heartbeat. "What now?"

"We wait for what comes next," Stiles said, shrugging. His lips twisted. "Popcorn?" He offered.

Theo smiled. He stood, gestured towards the kitchen. Stiles looked at him for a moment, then looked inside - Malia was smiling as she talked to Lydia. Stiles' shoulders were a tense line, but he stood anyway and followed Theo into the kitchen.

 _What to do, what to do,_ Theo thought, as they good-naturedly bantered about what to watch and what to eat and what to drink.

Theo didn't know. He hated not knowing - Theo hadn't had any plans, lately, any big goals with set posts, but he liked having them, and it wasn't comfortable, being back in a time when he had very specific, well-laid ones, with strong foundations. Theo couldn't stop the ball rolling if he tried - the goal he'd aimed for he'd achieve, in the worst way possible, because he wouldn't win anything at the end.

Maybe the best thing to do would be to get himself sent to Hell again. It'd hurt, horribly, and he shuddered at the thought (Malia sent him a concerned glance, which he ignored) but...

What else could he do? And _someone_ needed to remember Stiles. Anyone on this plane of existence wouldn't. Peter wasn't enough. Lydia wasn't enough. Convincing the others wasn't enough.

Someone just needed to flat out _remember._

And unless they could trap someone else -

Peter.

Peter wouldn't be taken yet, of course. So if Theo managed to trap him in another plane of existence -

But then, why would he help if he came back? Theo wouldn't know how to make him. Theo had never _met_ him, except once, in passing. Theo wouldn't know what to do to make him help bring back Stiles, when he hadn't been all that bothered last time.

Well. It was probably very bothered for Peter, but it wasn't by anyone else's standards. The only person he really 'cared' about was Malia, all told, and even that was... difficult to interpret. It was a particularly weak familial bond, and it was... probably born of Malia being an extension of himself. Peter was a classic narcissist, from what Theo knew. He hated Scott because Scott was his antithesis - he loved Malia, as an extension of himself, and... he liked Stiles well enough, because - probably because he reminded him of himself, which... is a realisation Theo should never let Stiles have. Or anyone else, for that matter. As for Lydia - Peter seemed the type to be drawn to power, and he'd been the one to bite her. So there's that sort of... creator-instinct. She wasn't a beta or anything, it wasn't the same instinct that drove him to try and convince Scott, at first, to work on his side. But it was something, something to do with him tying them together and her bringing him back to life if what Theo had gathered about the whole thing was to be believed.

None of them really liked talking about stuff that was that far back, which Theo got. He didn't, either.

Sometime later, after everyone had exhausted themselves enough (if they weren't asleep already, as was the case of Malia and Liam and Hayden and Corey and Mason), Theo was sat across from Stiles, who was leaning against the couch, malia asleep above him, face pressed into the couch's cushions. Lydia was curled up in the chair, staring off into space, occasionally absently snacking on a piece of popcorn. She put it down and fell asleep not long after, and then it was silent... just Theo and Stiles, who was wincing at the position he was sat in. He rolled his shoulders and winced harder - Theo sighed, and stood.

"Come on," He said. "This is Melissa's house. There's got to be something for that somewhere."

Stiles looked up at him, suspiciously.

"Do you want it to be permanent, or?"

Stiles licked his lips, looked away, then sighed and stood. He followed Theo upstairs and then led the way to the bathroom, where Melissa kept a first aid kit filled with - well, a lot. It was less a kit and more a big, well-stocked case of pretty much anything anyone could need in an emergency situation.

Theo looked through the contents, glad he knew what all of this was but annoyed at the reason for that, as Stiles did the same.

"That one," Theo said, picking up a cream. "What have you done so far?"

"Clean it," Stiles said. And then stopped talking.

Theo stared at him.

Stiles stared back.

"Are you stupid?" Theo blurted. "What, you didn't even dress it? Bandage it? Nothing?"

"Not sure why you _care,_ " Stiles bit out.

"I wasn't lying," Theo said. "When I said I'd be looking out for you. If that means making sure you take care of yourself _as well_ as stopping you from dying by other means, then I will."

Theo pressed the cream into Stiles' hands. He looked - well, his face was unreadable, but there was a tang to his scent; something unsure, wary, something pleased and something disgusted in equal measure.

Theo could figure that one out pretty easily.

"Let me see it," Theo said.

"Why?" Stiles asked.

"We need to know what it looks like to know what else to put on it," Theo said.

He heard movement in the hall. Theo stopped, paused, turned around. He opened the door to Malia, who was looking at them suspiciously.

"What's going on?" She asked.

"Parrish flipped the car," Theo said. "Stiles got hurt when he hit the tarmac."

"Oh." Malia looked at Stiles, who shrugged. That pulled at the skin around the scar, and Malia was clearly scenting the air for his pain when she frowned, but her shoulders relaxed and the suspicion bled from her expression.

"Alright," She said. "I need to go, but... I'll see you tomorrow?" She said, as if a question, and directed it at Stiles, who nodded, vaguely. Malia left without preamble. Stiles sat down, on the floor, leant back against the side of the bathtub. Stiles tossed the scar cream up and down in his hand, flipping it in the air absently as he stared at the ceiling light.

With a guilty sort of frustration in his scent and a mild annoyance in his tone, he said, "Fine," and pulled the collar of his sweater aside, stretching it enough for Theo to see the scarring.

It was - worse than Theo had thought. It wasn't like he'd ever had the chance to see it up close, though he'd seen how it happened. But - it. It just looked worse than he'd thought it would.

Probably because Stiles, to his own admission, had not been taking proper care of it.

"That'd be a cool tattoo if it wasn't from a cannibal chimaera," Theo said. He crouched down and picked a few more things out from the stash, things for old and prominent scarring, and placed them on the lid of the toilet.

Stiles scoffed.

"I mean it," Theo smiled easily, and Stiles stared for a moment before looking away.

"... So," Theo busied himself with closing the case.

"I can do this myself, you know," Stiles said. "You don't have to hang around like a creep."

"And break my promise?" Theo asked. He closed the door and locked it, just to make sure no-one else barged in and questioned how Parrish could have ever made such a specific and old scar on Stiles' shoulder, of all places, before he sat down with his back to the wall, knees pulled up because of the lack of floor space.

"Besides," Theo said, "It's no worse than the locker rooms."

Stiles shrugged in agreement and pulled off his sweater. With more of it visible, the scar looked much worse - it was permanent, Theo could tell. Stiles didn't have any other scars - in fact one prominent one from a glass shard of table stuck in his chest was missing, and Theo only knew about that one because it had to have happened, given he'd _had a glass shard of a table stuck in his chest._

"I thought you said you wouldn't be a creep," Stiles said, sharply, and Theo averted his eyes. "Sorry," Theo said. "I just thought..."

"What, that I'd look like the rest of you?" Stiles said, sharp amusement clear, the tang of too much pineapple. "No," Theo said. "That you wouldn't. We heal. Weres don't get scars. But you've only got the one."

"Not true," Stiles said.

"The one from a major injury," Theo said. "I don't believe you've only had one lamprey bite in the last few years."

"Well, that's not true, because I've only been bitten by a lamprey once in my life," Stiles said.

"Not what I meant," Theo said.

"Phrase things better," Stiles said, unrepentant.

"The alpha didn't bite me," Theo said. Stiles frowned at him. "A deep enough scratch is enough to turn someone. He got me here," Theo tapped his chest, above his heart. "Deep enough to turn, but not enough to kill."

"Lucky for you," Stiles said.

"Any scars you should have but you don't?" Theo asked.

There was silence. Stiles just stared at him, expression carefully blank, an arm crossed over to rub the cream into the scar tissue.

"A few," Stiles said. "The nogitsune ripped my stomach open with one of Noshiko's tails. And I mean, I do technically have that scar, just not on this body."

Theo blinked at him. Stiles' lips quirked up in amusement, and he dropped his arm to his side. "We split," Stiles explained, "Before he was defeated. He got the old model; I got this shiny new one birthed from some fifty-year-old bandages vomited up onto the floor. Not very pleasant."

"So you're not human," Theo said, unthinkingly. Stiles blinked at him, then adopted an expression of affronted anger.

"Actually -"

"No, I meant," Theo interrupted, "I meant... you're human, but your body is - it's a construct. The nogitsune made it."

Stiles grimaced. "Don't remind me," He said.

"That makes your body about as natural as a chimaera, though, surely that's got to have some effects," Theo pressed. Maybe it did. Maybe - maybe that was why the Anuke-Ite didn't work on him.

"Other than a bone-deep ache for about a month afterwards? Nope. Regular old human model," Stiles shrugged his uninjured shoulder. "Please put 'fragile' warning on all shipping containers," Stiles said, dryly.

Theo laughed, just a little. Let himself react fully to Stiles' humour in a way he hadn't, before. "You're not fragile, Stiles," Theo said. "Not even a little."

Stiles just stared at him again, in response, the scent of uncertainty lingering in his chemosignals. 

Theo's smile dimmed, as he looked away. He sighed, and stood - Stiles copied the motion if only to not be at a disadvantage.

"You want a ride home, or are you gonna crash here?" Theo asked.

"I need to make sure Dad is dealing with everything properly," Stiles said. He grabbed some gauze and taped it down, over the scar, so the fabric of his sweater wouldn't disturb the cream. Theo supposed at least something was better than nothing and pretended to ignore the fact that Stiles hadn't finished dressing it properly.

"I'll take you to the station, then," Theo said.

* * *

" _Why_ is Parrish in lockup?" Stiles demanded, upon seeing his Dad.

The sheriff sighed, pinched the space between his brows. "Go home, Stiles," He said.

"No, actually," Stiles said, "I'm not going to. Why is Parrish in lockup?"

"He's the one who's been taking the bodies." Noah sat down, heavily, in his char. Theo spied some deputies who were blatantly watching this unfold - none of them stopped when they caught his gaze. (Strauss just shrugged.)

"He doesn't know that," Stiles said, exasperatedly. "Whatever's going on, he's not in control of it."

"You saw what was happening, Sheriff," Theo said. "You heard him, when he was talking to Lydia."

"You weren't there," Noah said, "And Stiles - please go home."

" _No."_ Stiles stared Noah down, but it had little to no effect.

"I've had to bend the rules a little too much, lately," Noah said, quietly; Theo heard him loud and clear, but it was obvious Stiles had to strain his ears to catch what the man said. "I have to draw the line _somewhere."_

"Do you now?" Stiles said, dangerously, hurt clear in his chemosignals, and really, Stiles used anger to express his emotional pain, most of the time. The Sheriff should know, but it's clear in his expression that he didn't. Stiles spun on his heel and left the room, leaving Theo and Noah alone in the man's office.

Noah sighed and looked at Theo.

"Go home, Theo," He said.

"Stiles doesn't have a car right now," Theo said, "And since he's not going home yet, I can't leave. It's not safe for him to be wandering around alone in the middle of the night."

Noah closed his eyes, briefly, before he nodded. "Alright," He said.

"You might wanna rethink your stance," Theo said, quietly. "If for nothing else, then for Stiles' sake."

Noah frowned at him. He hesitated. "Clarke said... the night of the prank call, you and Stiles' library cards were registered."

"Stiles lost his a few weeks ago," Theo said, "So I guess that clears up how Donovan gained access to the library."

Noah narrowed his eyes, stood, and took Theo aside. "What are you saying?"

"Do you want to know?" Theo searched the man's expression. "It's not pretty. It's not clean. You will _have_ to leave your badge behind."

Noah's jaw tightened. "I can't do that."

"Then I can't tell you." Theo looked at him, earnest. "I want to. You should know what happened. But I can't if you refuse to listen as Noah and not the Sheriff."

"Why?" Noah frowned at him.

"Donovan's dead," Theo said. "And Stiles isn't."

Noah's eyes widened, minutely, an acrid tang of worried fear in his scent. "I..."

"Figure out what you want to do about Parrish." Theo stepped back, made to leave the office. "When you've figured that out, you can decide how hypocritical you want to be about this."

Theo walked into the lockup, where Stiles was sat, facing Parrish, who was leaning against the back wall.

"Sorry about this," Stiles was saying. "I don't know why he's being this stupid."

Parrish just looked at Stiles, a twist to his lips. "But I took the bodies," Parrish said.

"And totalled my car," Stiles agreed. "Which means locking you up is stupid for many more reasons than I can count. Yes, you're the one taking the bodies. And you don't remember what's going on when you do. And you attack people who get in your way. So locking you up is a recipe for complete and total disaster, honestly. Lydia should be visiting tomorrow, to help clear things up as a witness."

Parrish smiled, slightly, not exactly happy, but grateful. "I'm sorry," He said.

"Nothing to be sorry for," Stiles said. "Trust me, I know a bit of what it's like to do things out of your own control. It's not fun, especially if you don't remember."

"I would've thought remembering would be worse," Theo said, leaning against the entrance. Stiles jumped, slightly, snapped his head around to look at Theo.

"You're still here?" Stiles said, disbelief and annoyance mixed together in his tone. "Great, whatever, fine." Stiles stood. "You'll be out by tomorrow evening, at the _latest,"_ Stiles said. Parrish nodded, closed his eyes, and Stiles sighed before he turned around and brushed past Theo on his way out of the lockup.

Theo followed and stopped Stiles before they could re-enter the main room.

"We need to tell people what happened," Theo said, quietly. Stiles' eyes widened and he dragged Theo, who went willingly, outside the back entrance.

"Don't be stupid, they have cameras in there," Stiles said, first. Then: "Why?"

"You know why," Theo said, impatiently, because Stiles pretending to be dumb was always annoying, especially since he clearly didn't like that in other people. Hypocritical, really, but that's something that runs in the Stilinskis' genes.

Stiles' shoulders rose with tension, the line of his mouth flattening unhappily. "I know why," He sighed. "It's just..."

"Lydia is going to find the Nemeton, especially once she ropes in Parrish," Theo said. "So they're going to find the bodies. Which means Josh, and Donovan."

"Neither of which look like they were killed by the Doctors," Stiles said, cold and hollow. "So..."

"We need to think," Theo said. "Bring together an alibi."

"Not here, then," Stiles said. "Come on."

They walked to Theo's car. Theo drove them to Stiles' house, which was dark and empty. Stiles' mouth remained a thin line as they got out of the car, frustration radiating from a mixture of his countenance and his scent.

"Okay," Theo said when they stopped in the living room. "So, Josh first."

"What we told Melissa will have to do," Stiles said. "I was having a very un-fun flashback on the hospital roof, which Dad won't be happy about, and Josh found me there because he was busy getting high of the electricity from the power generator, or whatever the fuck it was. He was totally crazy and attacked me, because none of the experiments so far have been all that stable, and since everyone was on high alert about people wandering around having flashbacks in dangerous places, you were sent to go look for me and tracked me to the hospital just in time to throw Josh away from murdering me. Unfortunately, the Doctors chose that moment to show up and killed him then wandered off to wherever the fuck they came from since he was a 'failure' and neither of us matters to them so much as an ant would. Thank god. After that, we took Josh to Deaton's, called, Scott, Scott can verify the story, and then we watched the body until Parrish showed up, and after that everything else happened."

The last few days really were jam-packed with a lot of utter _shit,_ weren't they?

"... Wow, this has been a really crappy weekend," Stiles said, echoing Theo's thoughts, as he dropped onto the couch. Theo sat on the other side as he nodded.

"No kidding," He said.

"Well?" Stiles looked at him. "That works, right?"

"Yeah," Theo nodded. "Now, Donovan..." Theo stared at Stiles, for a second, before he looked away, formulated what he was going to say. 

"I already have something planned out," Theo admitted. "You won't exactly like it, but..."

"What?" Stiles asked.

"It was just in case your dad confronted me about it," Theo defended himself, "I have a version where I take the blame. You told your dad you lost your card a couple of weeks ago - he asked me about it earlier - and... so, I figured we could blame that on Donovan stealing it," Theo said, then paused, looked at Stiles.

Stiles shrugged, nodding slowly. "That works," He allowed.

"So," Theo said, "We blame that on Donovan. I was - you hadn't returned from the library yet, so I went to make sure you hadn't just fallen asleep there, or something. Which turned out to be a good thing, because Donovan was in the process of attempting to eat you in the library."

Stiles winced.

"It explains the shoulder," Theo pointed out. "I got him off you, but he was relentless and reckless, and I ended up -"

"Slamming your claws into his chest," Stiles said. "He got impaled on a metal beam."

"Right," Theo nodded, uncomfortable. "And that wouldn't have been quite enough to kill him-"

"But he started bleeding mercury," Stiles said. "Which is a sign of a failed experiment."

"He died because he wasn't healing," Theo finished.

Stiles nodded, expression blank, eyes cold. This wasn't something he wanted to be doing, and Theo would rather they didn't, would rather they just told the truth, but Stiles couldn't do that at this point, not unless confronted with it, and... it wouldn't be believable. He just wasn't going to lie to Scott about what happened, and hopefully... a lot of heartaches would be avoided.

Theo should tell him, perhaps. Not about what happened in the original timeline - but... that Theo himself is a chimaera. Make it so the blackmail seems more even. Stiles killed Donovan; Theo's a chimaera. Theo killed Josh; and in this version of events, Theo's been sabotaging the Dread Doctors after 'switching sides', so to speak.

He should tell him.

Or Scott. Or Malia, or Lydia, or someone.

He should. Theo looked away from Stiles, mentally working over the pros and cons.

"Well," Stiles said, standing, "Now you've had all the fun in the world, blackmailing me -"

"I'm a chimaera," Theo said.

Stiles stopped. Turned, slowly.

"Now we're both blackmailing each other," Theo said, steadily, eyes trained on Stiles'. "I wasn't turned by an alpha. The Dread Doctors made me a Chimaera when I was nine. It was why we left so suddenly after Tara's death. They used her heart to make me a genetic chimaera. Then they added the supernatural elements; I'm a mix of werewolf and werecoyote. It's why Malia trusts me easier than the others. But it's also why I can full-shift into a wolf." Theo paused. "I can tell you everything if you want. I'm not trying to blackmail you, I'm - I'm just trying to help, in the only way I know how."

Theo was standing, now. Stiles was watching him, warily, a safe distance away.

"Why would you tell me any of that?" Stiles asked.

"I've lied to you the least," Theo said. "I want a pack. I want to be _in_ the pack. But at the very least, I'd settle for only being your friend."

Stiles snorted. "You have a funny way of going about it."

"I've been with the Dread doctors for half my life," Theo said. "I don't really know how this stuff works. But I'm _trying._ I've been sabotaging them - destroyed their source of life-lengthening serum, but I took some before that because it's a resurrection tool, too. I helped save Hayden and Liam when I could've just let you all flounder. I've saved your life. I'll admit I wasn't working to help you all at first, but I mean it when I say it now - I care. I want to be in the pack, I want to be friends with you all, I want to get away from the Doctors. They're planning something big, something dangerous, and originally I planned to tear the pack apart so I could build myself one that was strong enough to defeat what they want to create, but... things change. People change. I don't want that now."

The looked at him, earnest as he could manage because he meant it. Tara's heart beat fast in his chest.

"Do you?" Stiles said, suspiciously.

" _Yes,"_ Theo said. "I wouldn't tell you any of that if I didn't want to - be on better terms. Honest terms."

"I don't believe you," Stiles said. "What's stopping me from telling them?"

"Nothing," Theo said. "I'm sticking to our alibis unless you want to tell the truth. Tell them I'm a chimaera if you want to. I'm still going to be looking out for you."

"Get out of my house."

"And leave you alone while the Doctors are around?" Theo said. "No. I'll sleep on the couch."

Stiles scowled at him, one hand clenching into a fist.

"Punch me if you want to," Theo said, voice tightly controlled. "I'd deserve it."

"Fuck you," Stiles said, then backed out of the room and fled upstairs.

Theo dropped onto the couch, and did what he said he would do, long-pushed-back exhaustion seeping into his bones:

Theo slept.

* * *


	2. Intermission.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> intermission, part one.

It's Monday.

Theo put down his phone on the coffee table, as he sighed out a yawn; he'd arrived back in time on Friday, probably just after he'd been knocked out by Parrish - and that meant he'd had... practically no sleep for three days. Because -

Well. He hadn't left at a good time. To be back here, he'd had to come from _somewhere,_ after all - and he'd not been sleeping much then, either.

... but that doesn't matter now, does it? That was because of Monroe - and Monroe was only Monroe because of the Anuke-Ite, really, and the other manipulations she went through - and that wouldn't be able to happen, if the Wild Hunt didn't occur, Theo's... mostly certain. And it probably won't, if he's lucky.

... It'll be worse if he isn't. That's also something he's sure of.

Theo swung his legs off of the sofa. He ran a hand through his hair as he looked around the room - it was bright, daylight; the time, according to his phone, was nearly nine-forty. Was school on? Either way, Theo probably wouldn't be going. School might actually be closed, if some random janitors found the damage done by Scott's failed plan.

Probably not. Theo was - probably just very late, and therefore might as well not bother, anyway.

Theo focused his hearing; there was another heartbeat in the house, upstairs, faster than a sleeping human's heart should beat - which meant, probably Stiles, and likely either asleep, or exhausted, but too wired and untrusting to pass out just yet, with Theo in the house, and... everything that's been going down, over the past month. Not even a month, really; it's only the 20th. And all _this_ didn't start on the 1st. 

Theo rubbed at his eyes, then sighed again, no yawn this time. He'd rested as much as he could, he figured, because it didn't seem like anything in particular had woken him up. Theo stood. For lack of anything better to do, Theo made his way upstairs.

Stiles' door was ajar. Theo pushed it open, to find the eighteen-year-old in question pacing in front of his clear marker board.

 _Perfect supernatural??_ Theo spotted, scrawled at the end of one of the many lines which jutted out from _Dread Doctors._ The overuse of question marks appeared to be a common theme.

Looking at the mostly blank, clearly uncertain board was almost giving Theo some anxious feelings, and he knew everything that was going down. But looking at it - Stiles' handwriting was messy, rushed - too many question marks, half-finished sentences, thoughts, postulations on what might potentially be the case.

Donovan's name wasn't on the board. Josh's was. Kira's had been added; _Kira - experimented on? used to further goals? attempt to empower? used for study of Kitsune?_

"They don't need to study Kitsune," Theo said. Stiles grunted, continued pacing. He stopped, turned and stalked over to Theo.

"Explain," He demanded. Theo glanced away, for a moment, but nodded. "I don't know that much," Because, well, he _did,_ but what he knew he couldn't explain, not without giving the _entire_ game away - and he's... not going to do that.

If he did, someone would find out he killed Scott. And then that would ruin _everything._

"Tell me what you do know." Stiles' eyes were imploring, boring into Theo's own, and Theo - well, he wasn't going to say no, anyway.

"I'm not a failure," Theo said. "But I'm not a success."

Stiles sucked in a breath and marched over to the board. "In what way are you a success?" He asked, picking up a marker.

... _mundane evil._

"I'm stable," He said. Theo pressed his lips together, ever so slightly, looked at Stiles' reflection on the board. "I'm..."

"What?" Stiles snapped, turning around. "What, Theo? What _are_ you?"

"I'm not a success," Theo said back, sharply, "Because I'm not evil enough. And because I'm not good enough."

Stiles tilted his head. "Good enough, as in..."

"As in, personality. As in, Scott is a good person, as in, giving to charity is a good thing to do, as in -"

"I get it," Stiles said, sharply, turning back to the board. "So they want someone who's -" His brow furrowed, the distorted reflection in the glass mirroring his confused expression, "... what, simultaneously the most evil person possible _and_ the most good person possible? What?"

Theo shrugged, helplessly. "It doesn't make... much sense."

"No shit it doesn't make much sense," Stiles chewed on his lip. "It makes _no goddamn sense at all,_ actually." He started pacing again, wearing down the carpet underfoot. "I just - I don't get it, how do you do that? I mean, I know they're insane, but _are they insane?_ That's not possible."

It was almost true - after... everything, Theo still wasn't entirely sure what had made Mason their choice for The Beast, and why that had worked, and - and everything else about it. Sebastian was perhaps the most confusing problem they'd dealt with, if only because they never got the entire, full story because none of them were hundreds of years old mad, french, genetic scientists.

Theo probably wouldn't find out this time around, either.

Some things, he figured, even time travel wouldn't change.

"They had a way to keep their lifespans ongoing," Theo said, "But I sabotaged it. They should be out, soon, if not already."

"What?" Stiles frowned at him. "I said, but - they have this serum," Theo said, "Had. It was made from this... guy, probably dead, in this - massive tank... or vat, and it - kept them living. And it resurrected those that weren't - if a chimaera died on the operating table, they could just revive the person and carry on."

"Horrifying." Stiles said. "They can resurrect people?" He echoed.

"Could," Theo said. "I... I took most of the serum left. They won't know where it is. So..."

"So that's something else you have over us," Stiles snapped. "Leverage. 'Oh, no... one of you died... I might just know of a way to bring you back... but you've gotta do something for me...' - am I right?"

"No," Theo said. "A month ago? Yes. Now? No."

Stiles pursed his lips, eyes narrowed in suspicion. Theo was damned tired of it, but that might just be because he's had a year of them both getting past this. It's 2014, for Theo. Being back here, halfway through 2012, with a 2012 Stiles, and a 2012 set of problems, just feels...

Tedious.

Maybe it wouldn't have been, if only Theo had been thrown back _earlier._

"Sure," Stiles said, disbelief clear in his tone. He turned back to the board, all the same, and wrote down exactly what Theo had told him, regardless. 

Yeah, _I don't trust you, my ass._

"Is there anything that might be helpful?" Theo asked.

"Where are they?" Stiles responded. "Do you have a map?" Theo replied. Stiles walked over to his laptop and opened it, brought up the city plans, and gestured.

Theo marked where the Doctors' base is, within the tunnels, along with the routes they usually use. "There," He said. "Where they are, how they move."

Stiles nodded, absently, eyes tracking the dots and lines, slotting them away in his memory, locking them into place. "Right," He said. "M.O.?"

"Genetic chimaeras," He said, not sure if they already knew this, but far too gone to not say it anyway. "Anyone with two sets of DNA. Skin graft, organ donation, any one of the other random genetic problems you can be born with - absorbed twins, weird parentage."

Stiles nodded, slowly. "They're making chimaeras with chimaeras," Stiles said, "Well, at least _that_ makes sense."

Theo shrugged. "That's all I've got," He lied.

"Great," Stiles said, "Unhelpful. What, are you their _lackey_ or something? Need-to-know, and _you_ don't need to know?"

Theo grit his teeth. It had been a year - but some things still rankled, and the Doctors -

He'd... probably never get over that.

"Yes." He said, anyway.

Stiles huffed, then went back to the board, dismissing Theo's admission.

At least his fairly obsessive nature hasn't yet latched onto this, Theo figured. He's not sure Stiles will try and stalk him again, but he might. That might be mildly entertaining, like last time, or exceedingly dull - probably depending on what mood they're both in, Theo figured.

"There's nothing we can do right now," Theo said. "Stressing about it's not going to help."

Stiles' eyes flicked over to him, passing over Theo's own through the clear board's reflection. "Oh really?" Stiles replied, dismissive, again.

" _Really."_ Theo walked over, stood next to Stiles, who tensed, at the motion.

"We should just... take a break. If you're not going into school, you might as well use the day to - rest." Theo glanced at Stiles. 

"I spent five hours in a car with you this weekend," Stiles said, flatly, "I want to spend _zero more seconds_ with you today. If you could leave, that would be great."

Theo sighed. But - well. He had things to do. Even if - even if he wasn't sure leaving Stiles alone was a _good_ idea, he had nothing to say that would make him able to stay.

"Alright," Theo said. "Watch Star Wars on your own, then. I'll go find out what everyone else is up to."

Theo left the room, without looking at Stiles, or trying to read his emotions from his scent. He left the house while paying attention to the cars on the roads, and ignored the other young adult's heartbeat. If Stiles wanted privacy, then he'd get it.

Theo walked down the street, leisurely. They were safe for a few days, from what he remembered. Well, mostly; at least in this timeline, Theo wouldn't be poisoning Scott's inhaler. But Malia was still dragging her mother's attention her way, and now Parrish knows what he's doing but nothing else, and Lydia and he are looking for the Nemeton, which means they will likely find it earlier, which means Stiles' secrets will come crashing down around him long before he's ready for it.

And so will Theo's, as a consequence. 

Theo lightly kicked at the pavement. The school was dark, from outside, cold and dingy without actually being in a state of disrepair. The lights were dim, inside, like even the building itself could sense the mood of the students within. He was late, very much so, but nobody seemed to care; nobody bothered him as he walked the deserted, dark hallways, footsteps echoing on the dull tiled floor.

This is what the Dread Doctors do.

Theo looked around, listened out for heartbeats and voices he recognised. He narrowed down Malia's location from her scent, and took of, slowly, in her direction. Perhaps this time, he could actually _help,_ not _hinder._ As an apology, thereabouts, for something he has not yet done to this Malia, and probably never would.

Not unless he had to, at any rate.

* * *

The bell for break rang, and Theo caught Malia's wrist, loosely, stopping her from walking straight past him on her way out of class. "Can I talk to you?" He asked, and she frowned at him but nodded, ignoring her misgivings, as always. Theo led her to the library. Quietly, they neatly hid among the shelves, and Theo pressed his lips together, considering.

"What do you want?" Malia asked, blunt, tight, a hand clutching tightly to her bag, probably filled to bursting with crime scene evidence and photo sightings of her mother's acts of homicide.

"I know what you're doing," Theo said. "You want to find your mother."

Malia growled, but didn't shove him, didn't attack him - he'd hid them away, but in view, and she wasn't stupid, just brazen. Getting in trouble wouldn't help her, because right now, she needed to lay low. Still, her free hand clenched into a fist, like she wanted to lay into him her current anger.

Theo held his hands up in a lazy gesture of innocence, forced his expression into something earnest. "You're not... hiding it very well," He said, "And I just want to help."

"... how would you know anything?" Malia asked.

 _I made a deal with her last time,_ Theo thought, _And I know how she thinks because we were the same sort of person, and in a way, we still are._

"I thought it'd be smart to," Theo said, "I mean - I... didn't come here _blind._ I did research on everyone I could. Scott was turned by Peter, Stiles was possessed, and you - you're a Hale, and your mother is an Assasin. What you're doing - what I've seen you do, just... confirmed that."

Malia's eyes flashed, but she nodded. "Fine," She said. "How could you help me?"

"I could contact her," He said. "She's an assassin, right? Assassin's don't work for free. If she's already here, or on her way here, a bit of money could be an incentive, and I have... a sizable fund." _Inheritance._ "Enough to prove payment - we don't actually have to pay her anything, because we're paying her to come here as a diversion tactic. I pretend to work with her. I can - turn on her. She won't trust me, but it could help trap her where you need her to be."

"Why would you do that?" Malia asked.

"It's the easiest way," Theo said. "Or, I mean, you could go after her without a plan. See how many times that gets you shot."

Malia pressed her lips together. Theo allowed a smile, something hopefully convincing, and she sighed. "Fine," She said. Her lips twitched, something positive in her scent. "I'll... call Braeden. See what she thinks."

Theo nodded. The bell rang, while Malia's phone rang. She waved him off, so he went, and Theo lingered just close enough to hear her, among a crowd so she wouldn't know he was there.

 _"Since she's an assassin, and all,"_ Malia said, " _We could use a contract to lure her here. Theo offered."_

Theo let out a slow, shaky sigh. It looks like he got away with it - and he's not happy with improvising his way through life, never has been - but it _seems_ to have worked, this time.

Braeden responds, affirming, and Theo relaxes, minutely. He leaves the hallway, passing quickly through the crowds, and enters biology when the others do. It's a boring lesson, full of things he's already learned, and the others are doing nothing but being good students; Lydia is paying attention, taking notes, and Scott is doing the same... even if they're both avoiding answering questions.

Scott takes a puff of his inhaler halfway through the lesson. Theo frowns and ignores him for the rest of the time until the bell rings.

As he's leaving, Lydia's hand encircles his wrist, tugging him to a stop in the hallway, just to the right of the door.

"We could use your help," She said, without preamble. "Parrish and I are having some trouble finding the Nemeton, and - well, it's covered in dead bodies, presumably, so..."

"You want me to track the smell," Theo said, allowing vague disgust into his tone. "... if it'll help."

"It'll help a lot," Lydia said, smiling slightly, grateful. She squeezed his wrist, in thanks, then let go. "How's Stiles?"

"Fine," Theo said. "Smoke inhalation notwithstanding," He added, and then had to explain what had caused Stiles to suddenly know Parrish was the one taking the bodies in clearly more detail than he had done at the hospital. By the end of it, her lips were pursed, very thin, and she looked quite displeased.

"He's fine," Theo repeated.

"I know," Lydia said, "It's just proof that Parrish has no real control. Whatever being a hellhound means - he's not the hellhound, is he? The hellhound is him. Parrish is just allowed to be in the driver's seat for most of the time."

"You think the hellhound is the main conciousness?" Theo asked, raising his eyebrows.

"It would make sense," Lydia said, "He has no control over it, and it seems to do whatever it pleases," She pointed out, "He hurts people when he's the hellhound. And Parrish would never do that. He nearly gave his life in the army, he's a deputy. He cares about people, and he cares about protecting them. Whatever the hellhound is, it overwrites his personality."

Nearly. Theo sighed, mentally. They haven't managed that talk yet, then.

"Maybe..." Theo hesitated, for effect. "Maybe investigate more about what hellhounds are? The mythos is probably inaccurate, but..."

"There's usually kernels of truth in most legends," Lyda murmured. "You're right. We've been trying that route, but not as in-depth as we should, I think. There's more than one book and perspective on the topic, after all." She nodded, slowly. "Right. I'm going to go do that," She glanced around. " _After_ school ends," She added, absently.

"See you at lunch, Theo," Lydia said, as a goodbye, while she walked off, down the corridor towards her next lesson.

"Maybe," Theo replied, walking in the opposite direction.

* * *

Lunch was a quiet affair. Scott was occasionally very obviously sneaking a usage of his inhaler, and Lydia was conspicuously absent. Corey and Mason and Liam and Hayden were at their own table, a pack of their own, and Theo was the only one sat with Scott.

It was a shambles, this whole situation.

"I'm sorry," Scott said. "There's nothing for you to be sorry for," Theo replied.

After lunch, school went by slowly, yet also as if in a blur. Theo barely remembered the classes, though they dragged _on,_ and once outside, in the afternoon sun, Theo took a breath, sighed, and made a decision. He spun on his heel, and walked towards the Sheriff's Station.

Noah would get three chances, Theo decided. He'd ask again today. And in two days. And if he said no on both, then he'd get the lie he got last time.

* * *


	3. Limbo.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I guess," Theo said. "Maybe I've been gone for too long."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this... turned out longer than I expected.

On his way to the station, Theo took out his phone.

"What is it?" Stiles snapped, after a ring. "Lydia asked me to help her and Parrish find the Nemeton," Theo replied, without preamble, "But I realised something - I don't know if it will work, now, since it's been a while, but the serum I took from the Doctors? I think it could help us out."

"What - you mean bring back the Chimeras?"

"Yeah," Theo nodded, absently. "We should probably go tonight - I don't know when Lydia's going to call me in, so if we are going to try, it has to be soon."

"What makes you think we could find the Nemeton?"

"You -" Theo sighed. He shouldn't know that. "You've found it before, right?"

"... To do that we had to die," Stiles said, after a beat. "So, technically."

"You died?" Theo said. "I didn't know that." He lied, frowning into the middle distance. Trying to piece together what he should and shouldn't know is something he should prioritise; he's got a couple days before the Sheriff is attacked - he can spend a little time gathering his thoughts. It's a good idea too - he needs to put a plan of action into motion, at least. A way to secure his secrets in place, and a way to... make this all easier. Especially with Stiles - he's already got Scott and Lydia down - and a bit with Malia and Liam, who still need working on. 

If he's got this second chance, this small backwards time-skip, he might as well make the most of it, right? Make his lot in life a little better than it was last time. It would be a first step, to get himself genuinely into everyone's good graces. 

"And here I thought you knew everything," Stiles said, very sarcastically.

"You flatter me," Theo responded in kind. "But if you did die - if you sacrificed yourself - doesn't that make a link?"

"... Yeah," Stiles sighed. "A darkness around our hearts; 'Permanent, like a scar.'"

"Well there you go," Theo said. "Maybe you could follow that link."

"And you?"

"Well, I am a supernatural creature," Theo said. "Doesn't matter how I came by that. My presence _should_ help."

"Fine," Stiles said. "Give me an hour."

Theo blinked. "Okay," He agreed. 

"Get this over and done with, right?" Stiles said. "Lydia's in a hurry."

"Right," Theo nodded, "See you then."

Stiles hung up on him. Theo rolled his eyes, and shoved the phone in his pocket. He walked up to the door of the station, and entered inside. A few eyes turned his way, but most returned to their work pretty quickly, though Parrish followed him right up until he'd closed the Sheriff's door behind himself.

"Theo," Noah said, took in his expression, and then sighed.

"Well?" Theo asked. "Badge or no?"

"I can't -" Noah made a very frustrated noise. "Theo, I'm the Sheriff. I can't keep making exceptions. I'm not a corrupt man." He sets his jaw. "Melissa was right to be angry when I went back on what I said to her," He says, "So I won't say yes to just say no later, now. I can't, Theo."

"Sheriff," Theo said, and then sighed. He rubbed at his eyes, for greater effect. "Look, I'll... come back tomorrow. But I just need you to _really think_ about what you're willing to do for your son." Theo turned around and left, not bothering to look at the Sheriff; he could smell the confliction that would be written clear as day in his expression. 

Theo walked back to the school, got in his car, and drove off to Stiles' house. It's not been an hour, but he was willing to wait, leaves his car running and leans back in his seat, stalling in the driveway. 

Twenty minutes later, or thereabouts, Stiles exited his house. He spotted Theo in the driveway and scowled, annoyed, probably at Theo being there already. Stiles stalked over and clambered on into the passenger seat of Theo's Tacoma, then plugged his belt in as Theo pulled out of the drive. 

"Where did you stash it?" Stiles asked.

"Industrial sector," Theo said. "Basement of the old skatepark. The Doctors don't bother going there, so they'd never even know where to start looking, let alone find it."

"Old skatepark, huh?" Stiles muttered to himself, looking out of the window. Theo flicked his eyes over, but he couldn't read his expression; luckily, as a chimera, he didn't need to. "I heard about Heather," Theo said, simply. He remembered her, vaguely, one of Stiles' friends when they were kids. After Stiles' mom was diagnosed, Theo saw her around less and less, and he couldn't say at the time he wasn't perfectly happy with that development. As a child, Theo had preferred to spend his time with Stiles as _his_ time with Stiles, no other random children to bother with, and seeing less of Heather had meant more of that. 

Of course, the Dread Doctors came by, eventually, and Theo started seeing less of Stiles, too. Scott was a later addition, just before the Doctors came along, and Stiles had taken longer to get attached than one might think now, looking at them, but it's true. When Noah was headed down the path of alcoholism and workaholic behaviour and Claudia was going off the deep end, it was not exactly an easy time to be Stiles' friend, or to really just be around him in general. Stiles had always been a rowdy, rambunctious sort of child, prone to lying, but that was when he got his reputation for being a troublemaker. 

Regardless. They'd all been _the best of friends,_ which was to say that Theo hated every second he saw Stiles hanging out with Scott instead of him. What can he say? Wanting Stiles on his team hadn't come out of _nowhere._

... But, yeah. He'd heard about Heather. From Stiles, of course, in the previous timeline, but Stiles didn't need to know that detail.

"Course you did," Stiles said, bitingly. "What else did you hear?"

"I remember her," Theo said. "Sort of."

"Sort of?" Stiles asked. "She was there _twice_ the time you were."

"That's because you were friends when you were literal babies," Theo said. "Sharing _baths_ and the like. I was there when it _mattered -_ until I couldn't be."

"You were _not,"_ Stiles said, "You disappeared after killing your sister when we were ten. Mom died when I was 11. You were gone before the - the _incident,_ so no, you were _not._ Scott was."

"And how long, exactly, did it take for him to find out about everything?" Theo said. He did not deny killing his sister, because he had, hadn't he? Tara herself had certainly been convinced of it. "Not long," Stiles said, "He knew about her illness -"

"About a week after _we_ met him," Theo said, "I remember that. That's not what I meant."

"We're here," Stiles said, and threw open the door, dropping out of the Toyota. A clumsy escape, but an effective one; Theo shelved the conversation for later. 

Theo followed suit, locking the car up behind him, and entered the old building just after Stiles did.

"... I haven't been here in a while," Stiles said, looking around. It was truly abandoned, now; there were no older kids or teens hanging around the edges or sitting on the second floor walkways, smoking a cigarette or a joint or chucking water balloons at unsuspecting skaters down below. 

"Neither have I," Theo admitted, looking around at the run-down interior. "I didn't really... take it in, when I dropped off the stash."

They make their way slowly through the room, to the door at the back, careful to not disturb any potentially dangerously close to breaking structures. The two of them made their way downstairs, into the basement, and then Theo led Stiles over to the stash.

"Gross," Stiles said, and it was. This place hadn't been cleaned in... well, longer than a decade, but it hadn't been used in about seven years, give or take. It had gotten pretty nasty down here.

"We should be quick," Theo said. They grabbed the box of serum, more than Theo had thought but also less than he'd hoped, and carefully manoeuvred out of the unstable building. 

"Right," Theo said while chucking the box into the back and then unlocking the car, "Nemeton, then."

"Yeah," Stiles nodded. He got in the passenger's side, and then Theo turned on the ignition, put the car into reverse and pulled out on the road. 

"Who should we revive first, do you think?" Theo asked. 

Stiles frowned out of the window, and didn't answer for a minute or so. Theo deduced he wasn't about to any time soon, so...

"I'm not sure if it can heal... well," Theo sighed. "Donovan was impaled. I'm not sure if it would work on him. If it - if it doesn't, we won't use it on Josh, either."

"Why not?" Stiles said, bitingly. "Isn't the point of this to bring people back?"

"Yeah," Theo said, "But Josh had his throat ripped out - if it can't bring back Donovan, it's not likely to be able to bring back Josh."

"We'll see," Stiles said, darkly, staring out of the window. Theo left it at that, because any more would be pushing his luck, and he did enough of that with Stiles in the last timeline. 

* * *

Walking through the woods and thinking 'here Nemeton, here boy!' was probably an ineffective tactic, though Theo can admit that's only what he assumed Stiles was thinking. 

"This isn't working," He said, sighing. 

"Fuck off, I'm concentrating," Stiles said, and that was true; his expression was all twisted up, a dead give away. Stiles made an abrupt left turn, almost smacking into a tree, and started walking in that direction.

"Stiles," Theo said, coming to a halt. "Let's try something else."

Stiles spun around. "What?" He demanded. "Do you have any good ideas?"

"Close your eyes," Theo suggested. "Try and remember... what it was like when you found it last time."

Stiles, if he were a were of some kind, would have likely growled in annoyance at that point. Instead, as a human, he let out a very frustrated sounding noise, and then sighed, conceeding, and closed his eyes.

A few minutes passed, and Stiles turned around and punched a tree. 

"Stiles," Theo said, putting down the box of serum and taking a step forward. Stiles shoved his hand in his pocket, wince of pain receeding. "It's not working," He grunted out past gritted teeth, and bashed into Theo's shoulder as he stalked past him.

"It _will,"_ Theo said. "Look, your body was made by a being that spent _fifty years_ buried under that thing. _Go where you don't want to go_."

Stiles stood very still, very suddenly. "I'm not a supernatural creature," He bit out. "I'm _human._ Human eyes, human senses, human strength - human _awareness._ I'm not linked to this thing, I'm no banshee, let's just _go."_

"So you don't want to be here?" 

"Maybe I don't want to _find_ Donovan's dead, rotting corpse!" Stiles said, turning around. "Maybe I don't want to bring him back!"

"The entire point of this is to clear your name!" Theo retorted. Stiles stood very still again. "I don't want to bring him back either," Theo continued, "He tried to kill you. He would have killed your dad; I _get it._ But if he's running around, still kicking, then how could you have killed him? It's your choice. But if you don't bring him back you're going to _have_ to tell your dad. He asked me about it - I was going to tell you, but everything got really heavy very quickly, and there just wasn't any time - he asked me about it, because our cards were registered. Clarke said our cards were registered. And I've _told you -_ I've told you this, but it's important. If you don't tell him, he's going to assume the worst, and it will eat you _both_ alive."

Stiles' shoulders tightened with tension as Theo spoke, hands clenched into fists, shaking with the effort of his restraint. Theo was surprised he hadn't been punched yet, if he's honest; it's been a while coming. 

"We don't have to bring back Donovan," Theo said, "But we at least have to move him."

Stiles tensed up further. He spun around stalked over to Theo, raised his fist, and punched him in the face.

Theo let him, like last time, the punch of about equal strength as the second one had been; he was knocked aside, knocked down, and had to catch himself on the floor. Theo shoved his nose back into it's normal position and waited for it to heal un-broken, then stood, wiping the blood away. 

Stiles was stronger than people thought. 

"There you go," Theo said, steadily, eyes tracking Stiles' movement. "Took you long enough."

"Fuck you," Stiles said. His breathing was slower, and his eyes were closed. "It's this way," He said, unsteadily, and turned, walked due west. Theo picked up the box, then followed him through the trees, all the way to a clearing. 

Stiles opened his eyes, and gestured. There was still something very unsteady about his expression, an imbalance in his chemo signals. Angry, fearful, guilty regret. And just the ever so slightest, tiniest bit of pride. 

"Great," Theo said. "How...?"

"The nogitsune isn't actually dead," Stiles said. "We trapped it in a box made out of Nemeton wood," Stiles said, shifting his weight from foot-to-foot. "On the thinnest technicality, since my body was made by it, and my original body turned to bits of dust on the floor of a school hallway while it was still possessing it, well. On the thinnest technicality possible, the most intangible thread, we're still... linked, in a sense.

"If you tilt your head and squint while high as kite." Stiles added. 

Defensive. 

Those were all ways of Stiles saying 'there's still a connection' without having to be brutally honest with himself, Theo knew. It was in his posture - Stiles' countenance was of one very unhappy person, at that moment. Stiles hadn't really had to... dwell on the nogitsune, except for of course what his guilt made him think about. But dwelling on what it all meant? On what being in a body not his own meant? He hadn't had to do that. And he wouldn't have, if Theo knew him well enough. If you're alright ignoring a problem - if it doesn't lead to anything bad - then you're being perfectly reasonable to do so. To ignore a problem until it eventually just... goes away on it's own. 

Because, there's this - thing. Stiles... has a long standing tendency to lie to himself about things, just as much as he lies to other people. When he tells the truth, it's actually kind of scary, to most people (not really to Theo, for various reasons). There's a psychology theory, the Jungian Shadow. The less you see of someone's Shadow in their day-to-day, the worse it is. The darker the shit they're hiding about themselves is, or something along those lines. And when it _is_ released... when you can see it in play... it's not a good time. 

"Has that been any use?" Theo asked.

"... Why would it be?" Stiles asked. 

"Well," Theo said, "Wasn't it stronger than a normal human?" 

"Not exactly," Stiles said, "Sometimes - it made me able to throw Derek across the room, so I guess so."

Theo hesitated. "Could you not... use that?"

"No," Stiles said, flatly. "This was bad enough, I'm not doing that again."

Theo nodded. "Fair enough," He said. He walked over to the Nemeton. Theo put the box down, and opened it. 

"Who first?" He asked.

"Not many choices," Stiles said, tensely. "Lucas." He squinted and then frowned, and then something unfortunate clouds his expression. "I think she's called Beth," He said, pointing at a girl lain prone on the stump, head at an unnatural angle. "I didn't know she was dead."

... Didn't she die later, last time? Theo frowned. He wondered - if the Doctors were running out of Serum... were they trying to speed up the timeline? 

Shit. This is why he didn't do things without a plan. 

"Belasko," Stiles grimaced. "Tracey. And... the girl Kira's fox killed. And some kid." Stiles kicked the ground. "Obviously, also..."

"Josh and Donovan," Theo said. "Who first?"

"Beth, maybe?" 

"Alright," Theo said. With a grimace on Stiles' part they moved Beth off of the stump, and then Theo injected her with the serum. A gasp, and she's awake, blinking rapidly as her eyes adjust, grabbing at her neck which is sitting back in it's normal position, fully healed. 

"You're alive again," Stiles said, warily stepping aside as he waited to see if she'd attack them. "You're welcome."

Beth took in many quick, sharp, gasping breaths, loud in the quiet of the preserve. "I'm -" She started, then coughed, "I'm not - I'm not dead?"

"No," Stiles said. "Not anymore," Theo added, crouching down. "You need any help standing?"

She blinked at him owlishly, then nods. Theo helped her stand. She was not in any pain - it's just confusion and disorientation that's clouding her brain. 

"What do you remember?"

Beth blinked. "I... I threw Malia into a locker?" She tested out loud, then nodded, affirming her words. "Yeah, and then... I ran outside..." She blanched. 

"They're not pleasant people to meet anywhere, even in the daytime," Theo said. "But do you know what you are?"

"A monster," She said. "A - a - _science experiment."_

"Ouch," Theo said. "You're a supernatural being. A _chimera._ **Better** than the monsters, because you don't have their weaknesses."

"Great," She said, sharp. "I'm going home."

"Not yet," Stiles said. "Why not?" She snapped. "Well, we'll have to drive you," Stiles said, "And we need to deal with that first," He pointed behind her. Beth turned her head, then blanched again. 

"Try not to throw my girlfriend into a wall again, please," Stiles added, "Now, could you help us out? Some of these people are more unstable than others."

It's not that Theo had forgotten Stiles was still with Malia - it's that it simply hadn't come up. They spent less time around each other than divorced spouses on opposite sides of the earth, these days. 

Beth worried her bottom lip between her teeth, but nodded, slowly. "Alright," She said, "For saving my life. Okay."

Theo holds 'Some Kid''s shoulders while Stiles injects the serum into him - the boy awakes with a start, gasping. He blinks blearily at them all, surprise dawning on his features.

"And you're alive," Stiles said. "Who are you, exactly?"

"Zach," Zach told them, looking around wildly. "Where - where am I?"

"The Preserve," Stiles said. "More accurately, the Nemeton's clearing. You died. We brought you back."

"Tactful," Beth said. "You weren't complaining earlier," Stiles said. "Do you know what you are, Zach?"

"Yeah," Zach said. "Yeah, I know what I am." He stood, with Theo's help, and rolled his shoulders, frowning in surprise. "What?" Theo asked.

"It doesn't hurt," He said, reaching behind himself. He sighed. "I can't... tell if it's there still."

"What?" Stiles asked. "What was on my back," Zach said. "I think..." He shuddered. "They did something to my spine, I know that much." 

Theo stilled, then winced. "Wings," He said. "Spinal surgeries mean wings."

"Oh god," Zach said. "Oh _god,"_ He repeated, looking sick.

"Well done," Beth snapped. "Zach, look at me," She said. Zach did. "Yes, you're a monster now. Get over it."

" _Wow,_ okay, you're one to talk," Stiles said. Beth frowned. "Sorry," She said. "I didn't mean that, I just..." Beth raised a shaking hand to her forehead. "We're the same," She said. "I don't know what I am. You don't know what you are. Theo's like us."

Theo inclined his head, at Zach's look. "Oh," Zach said, calming down slightly. "So..."

"So we can figure this out," Beth said, "But not if - not if we're _freaking out,_ like I very desperately want to do _right now,_ but, no. Can't."

"Can't?" Zach echoed.

"Dead people," She gestured at the Nemeton, which Zach seemed to just register. "Revive dead people; freak out later."

"Oh _god,"_ Zach said. "No, no..."

"Look, we'll check for wings," Beth said. "And if there aren't any, maybe Theo was wrong. Come on," She said, and led him aside, coaxed him out of his t-shirt to check his back.

"Alright," Theo said. "While that's going on..."

They turn to Tracey. They'll probably need her to restrain the others. 

"We might have to be a bit... harsher with this one," Theo said, delicately. "She's a bit... volatile."

"Tracey always seemed... just sort of quiet," Stiles said. 

"Watch out for the quiet ones, right?" Theo said, and Stiles snorted despite himself. Stiles stayed back as Theo injected the serum into her veins, and Tracey awoke with a gasp, much like the others, and blinked rapidly, much like the others, though her awareness seemed more _there_ a little quicker than either Zach or Beth's had been. 

"Okay," Theo said. "So here's what the deal is. If it weren't for us, you'd still be dead. You owe us. So, until the Dread Doctors have been dealt with, you do what we say, right?"

Tracey shrugged. "Sure," She said, standing. Tracey inspected her claws, "I don't see a problem with that arrangement."

"Restrain him," He pointed at Lucas. "If he tries anything, paralyse him."

"Alright," Tracey said, and followed his orders. Theo injected Lucas next, under Stiles' watchful gaze. 

Beth and Zach carefully walk up to them, standing somewhat awkwardly behind Stiles, slightly to the right of him. "Wings," Beth said to the older teen. "Um, but only on command. And they're... like a hummingbird's."

"It feels _weird,"_ Zach complained, then hesitated. "But... not _wrong,_ exactly. I can't..."

"We'll figure it out later," Stiles muttered in response. "Keep an eye on this one - he nearly killed Corey - his boyfriend, before he went all psycho."

Beth winced. 

Tracey tightened her grip when Lucas awoke, and as his gasps for air increased so did his thrashing, which had started immediately upon seeing the grouped individuals. 

"Now, Tracey," Theo said, and Tracey poisoned the teen.

Lucas slowed and stopped. "Okay," Theo said. Stiles came up beside him. 

"You're alive again, congrats," Stiles said. "We could do with fewer attempted murders, this time."

Lucas glared at them. Theo sighed. "There's a few ways that this can go," He said. "You didn't deserve this," Beth adds. "None of us did, none of us asked for it."

"But you can... you can choose to not let it control you," Zach added. "To not... run around hurting people just because - because you feel like you're bursting at the seams."

"Sappy," Stiles muttered, then cleared his throat. "Look," He said. "At the very least, you owe us. And don't you want some kind of revenge? Help us out, and the guys that did this to you - they'll be dealt with."

"You'll kill them?" Lucas said.

"No," Stiles said, "They're doing that to themselves. It's their plan we need to stop - it's that that would hurt them the most, anyway."

"Emotional pain," Theo said. "They're also hundreds of years old, and they're all out of life-lengthening serum," He refilled the syringe. "So -"

"Metaphorically and literally kick them in the dick before they kick the bucket," Stiles said. "Yes, or no?"

Tracey tightened her grip.

"Yes," Lucas said. "Fine. And then I can get out of here, right?"

"Don't kill anyone," Stiles said, "That's your only rule. Well, don't hurt anyone who doesn't deserve it, that too."

Lucas clucked his tongue. "Fine," He said. "Get off me," He added, unable to jerk away from Tracey.

"Yeah, you can let him go now," Stiles adds, and Tracey does, lets his head fall on the wooden stump.

"Ow," Lucas said, then frowned.

"Not ow," Stiles nodded. "Plus side of being a freak - pain is less effective, stuff heals faster. Getting gutted doesn't necessarily mean you die immediately."

Theo winced. "Don't call me a _freak,"_ Lucas spat out.

Stiles shrugged. He turned to the final two; Josh and Donovan. "Showdown," He said, annoyed. "Hand me that," He gestured. Theo let a brief grimace flash across his face, but he did hand over the syringe. Theo held back Josh with Tracey's help, which was a good choice, because the second he saw Stiles he started attempting to lunge at him.

"Wow, you're persistent," Stiles said. "Not even a thanks for bringing you back? A momentary truce for not letting you stay dead after trying to kill me?"

"Wh-" Josh looked around, blinked, and relaxed. "Where - " He snarled, and tensed up, and Tracey took initiative; she dosed him with her kanima venom, and he froze still. Josh snarled again. "Bitch," He said, and Tracey kicked him. 

"That's _very_ unintelligent," Stiles said. "Look. We brought you back."

"We?" Theo grimaced, mentally. This was the 'make it or break it' part of the plan, which had been very flimsy to start with; hope that when he woke up, Donovan didn't bring up the fact that Theo had... helped him out, so to speak, with his endeavours. 

"Yeah," Stiles said, "You get the dubious pleasure of being restrained by not one but _two_ questionably stable individuals, because you're that much of a volatile dick."

Josh snarled again. "Going after you was the best choice I've made all year," He said.

"That's sad, really," Stiles said. "Get some hobbies, dude, other than getting high off of electrical equipment and murdering people in the middle of a horrible flashback. That's just not good sportsmanship," He said, and grinned when Josh once again attempted, despite being paralysed, to lunge at him.

Stiles sometimes made it very easy to assume he had a death wish, Theo thought wryly. 

"Look," Tracey hissed in Josh's ear. "They brought us back, you idiot. That deserves some kind of compensation-"

"-I can get high off electrical equipment?" Josh said. 

"Was that not what you were doing?" Stiles said. "Or was chewing on cabling just for fun, profit and nutritional value?"

"You can," Theo confirmed. 

"Show me how," Josh grunted out. "And I'll call it even."

" _No_ , you'll listen to us," Stiles said, aggravated. "The Dread Doctors, the guys that made you into this? They're planning something big, something worse, and we need all the help we can get."

Josh thought it over. Theo sighed. Tracey hissed more werewolf-influenced opinions into his ear, and Josh let out an explosive breath. "Fine," He said. "Fucking let go of me."

Theo did, immediately standing and moving to restrain the next one. This was getting a lot of dirt and dried blood on him, which was an unpleasant but not exactly uncommon experience. 

"Who is she?" Beth asked, staring in a mix of confusion and morbid fascination. "I don't recognise her..."

"Me neither," Stiles admitted. "She might have gone to the other school..."

"Does it matter?" Lucas muttered. 

"Right," Zach said. "I always forget there's two districts."

"We straddle the line," Stiles agreed. "Tracey, make sure those claws don't get at anyone."

Tracey restrained the girls wrists, the long, black needle-like claws poking up towards the sky.

"What the hell is she?" Zach asked, sounding very grossed out, and honestly pretty traumatised, but there wasn't much they could do about that unless Marin Morell decided to show her face any time soon, but that wouldn't happen until Deaton was back. And _that_ wouldn't happen until Theo had helped Malia with her mother...

Theo had a lot of things to do.

"No idea," Stiles said. "We'll figure that out later. First, we've got to wake her up."

"You didn't wake her up before me?" Josh said, raising an eyebrow. 

"If I'm _brutally_ honest, Josh, you're not that dangerous." Stiles said. Tracey grinned. "Yes I _am,"_ Josh said, offended. "I was _unconscious_ and you couldn't kill me," Stiles said. 

"You weren't unconscious, you were yelling something about -"

"That's enough," Theo snapped, eyes flaring at Josh. "We can't waste time here."

"Right, yeah," Stiles muttered, then stepped forward and inserted the needle. The girl burst into life with a hacking cough, a variation on the gasping previously noted, but her eyes blinked as confused and as blearily as everyone ese's did. 

"Alright," Stiles said, "Welcome back to the world. What's your name?"

"Emma," Emma said. "Emma Wilson." She looked around. "Who - where am I -" She blinked, and looked down at her hands, frowned at the needle-nails. "I don't... I don't remember..."

"Shit," Stiles said, sighing. "Uh, well... you died," He said, carefully.

"I _what,"_ She blinked rapidly at him. "I - but I - I feel fine."

"You will do," Theo agreed. "The serum we brought you back with... it's powerful stuff."

"Oh," She said. "Oh... kay."

Tracey let go of her hands. "You're like us," She said, proudly. "A chimera. Supernatural, but with none of the weaknesses."

"I wouldn't say that," Emma said, tone hard to decipher, as she looked at her hands. "Look at this. What _is_ this?"

"That's what we're going to figure out," Stiles said. "As soon as we can," Theo added. "There's a lot going on. It's... been a few days since you died."

"Days?" She said, hollow. "I've lost days?"

"I've lost weeks," Tracey said, sharply. "At least you're not wanted by the police."

Emma looked fearfully at Tracey, then. "You're wanted by the police?" She asked, tentatively.

"Yes," Tracey said. "Half of us are."

"She's not wrong," Stiles said, vaguely uncomfortable. "But we can help," Stiles said, "And most of us are allowed to show our face in public, you'll just have some... explaining to do. And you being alive will clear my friend for murder charges, so that's a good thing."

"I was murdered?" Emma stared at him. Stiles winced. "Not exactly?" He said. "She was experimented on, just like you were, except instead of making her a supernatural creature - she already was one, a kitsune - a, a Japanese fox spirit - they... made her unstable. She started blacking out - couldn't remember the things she was doing. The spirit took over, and it killed you, because you were trying to kill her."

"Oh," Emma said, quietly. "Well. I guess..."

"None of us deserved this," Beth interrupted. "Not Stiles' friend, not you, not me, not Zach. Nobody. But it happened, and we have to deal with it." Beth brushed some matted hair out of her face with a grimace. "I learnt my lesson about ignoring things. It got my neck snapped."

Emma flinched. "I was... missing time," She admitted. "I... I just thought... I mean, people don't remember everything they did the previous day, right? Like, what did you do yesterday?"

"Lots of things," Stiles said. "None of them fun."

"But you couldn't tell me in detail, right?" She pressed.

"If you want to be here for hours, sure," Stiles said. "I could rant all day, trust me."

"Stiles isn't the best example," Theo said, wryly. "Hey," Stiles said. "I'm a great example. I'm the only human here."

Emma blinked. "So... you're not a chimera?"

"God no," Stiles said. " _Thank god,_ no."

Tracey and Lucas glowered at him. 

"I wouldn't want to be any kind of supernatural," Stiles said, defensively. "It'd kill my dad if I was."

"Sometimes your parents aren't worth it," Tracey said, coolly. Stiles grit his teeth. 

"Let's... not get into that," Theo said. This was the worst group of people he could have ever brought together. "Look. Emma." He faced her. "We'll help you," He said. "As much as we can. So it's safe for you to go home again. But, there's some things that are happening. The people that did this, the Dread Doctors, they're doing this for a reason. They're trying to make... something, and it's big, and it's dangerous. We need more people to help even begin to put up a fight. With you on board, as well as everyone else, we might have enough."

Maybe.

If it gets to that. 

"I mean," Emma said, "I'm not a fighter. I - I hate blood, it's - it makes me throw up, I - I have - I can't _do that._ I'm - I'm sorry but," She shook her head. "I'm not... I'm not cut out for it."

"Sure you are," Tracey said, brusquely. "You're like us."

"And a lot of people like you don't like fighting," Stiles said. "So it's fine, if you don't want to, or you feel like you'd be a hindrance. It's good to know your strengths - you don't have to fight. You can help in other ways, we just... need to find out what you _are_ good at."

"What do you mean?"

Stiles hesitated, catching Theo's eye, then grimaced. "When someone's turned," He said, "They change, at least a little, sometimes a lot." His eyes flickered over to Tracey. "And people who were terrible at, say, lacrosse, suddenly become professional prodigies. You might... be more capable than you think."

"Oh," Emma said. "Can I faint now?"

Lucas scoffed. 

"Feel free," Stiles said. "Oh for -" Beth stalked over, offered her hand. Emma looked at her own, and hesitated. Beth sighed, and took her by the wrist, hauled her to standing. "You've gotta be able to put those away," Beth said. "Zach can put his wings away. Come on." She took her aside, Zach following awkwardly, as Theo moved over to the last dead body. 

"What now?" Lucas asked, arms folded, expression bored. 

"Time for the worst one," Stiles said. "The wendigo-lamprey mashup." He sighed, and absently reached up to rub at his shoulder; Tracey tracked onto the motion, and then started glaring at Donovan's corpse. 

"Alright," Stiles said, psyching himself up. "Last and definitely least, the one that tried to eat me."

Josh laughed. Tracey growled at him. Zach gulped, and Beth looked rather warily at Donovan's currently dead body. 

"Calm down, kids," Stiles said. "Restrain the idiot, could you?"

Josh stayed aside, but Tracey walked over and grabbed Donovan none too gently. Theo tightened his grip, a few claws resting on the back of his neck - just in case - and Stiles, after refilling the syringe, injected it into Donovan's leg.

Donati's eyes snapped open, and it took Tracey paralysing him to stop him from reaching for Stiles, a mouth wide open on his hand. 

"That thing hurts, you know, careful waving it around," Stiles said, bitingly. "Happy to be awake and aware, Donovan?"

"I will kill you," He promised, eyes hard. "Slowly. And your _father_ will hear _every second of it._ "

"Yeah, you've said that before," Stiles said. "It's your lucky day; I'm not one for being convicted of murder, so you get to live! Hooray," Stiles said, flatly. "Try anything, and, _well_. Tracey doesn't seem particularly happy with you, and I'm not about to try and stop a kanima from roughing up their target. Tried it before, doesn't go so well. Tend to nearly get killed in the process, and the target ends up dead regardless."

Donovan snarled, teeth in his mouth as unpleasant as the ones in his lamprey mouth. 

"Careful, by the way," Stiles added, flicking his eyes up to Tracey and Theo. "Those mouths can open up anywhere on him, so watch where you put your hands."

"Pleasant," Lucas commented. 

Theo grimaced. What a _great_ power. 

"Fun," Tracey snarled. She paralysed Donovan again, for good measure. 

"So." Stiles said, and stepped forward. Donovan's neck tensed with the strain of attempting to move, snarling from the effort. "Just so you know, you can stop trying to scare me," Stiles said, leaning forward slightly and looking him dead in the eye. "I've seen much worse than you, and Donovan, I've _done_ much worse than you have." Stiles' tone was bitter, but it was serious, and frankly, his words were _true,_ in so far as being the vessel for the Nogitsune made them true. 

"Bet daddy dearest just _loves_ that," Donovan hissed out, smiling out of some twisted glee at the news. "Not so much," Stiles agreed, calmly, shoulders tense, hands hidden in his hoodie's pockets, probably to hide the anger they shook with, Theo thought, because these are the kinds of things that make him angry. Reminders of the nogitsune, reminders of how he felt about all that at the time not matching up with how he wants it to have felt, and how it feels now, reminders of what his dad does and doesn't know, and what he assumes the man would think of him if he did. Stiles doesn't deal well with internal factors... and external ones can manipulate that into anger. And that anger, into _action._

Theo would know; he'd practically perfected the act. 

"I wonder what he would think," Donovan said, slowly, "If he knew you just _stood there,_ if he knew you _watched, **fascinated,**_ morbidly curious as I slowly bled to death, impaled on a beam you made fall down on me," Donovan hissed out grinning. "I wonder what pain that would cause him?"

Lucas whistled lowly. 

Stiles' expression twisted, and Theo waited, because... he needed to see. It was a horrible thing to do, to not intervene, but... he needed to see just how far along Stiles was, exactly. How far Theo had pushed him, at this point. But it wasn't entirely in Theo's control; Tracey snarled, swiped him over the head, and knocked him out. 

Stiles blinked, expression relaxing minutely - then he sighed, and rubbed at his face, looking rather too tired for the time of day. 

_Emotional pain,_ Theo remembered, and winced, internally. He does, he admits, feel guilty about this. 

"Oh, come on," Lucas said. "Not even one punch?" They ignored him. Stiles, rather blatantly so. 

"Shouldn't have done that," Stiles said to Tracey, who, surprisingly, looked a little contrite. "Well," She said. "He shouldn't have said that, so I dealt with it." She lifted her chin, and looked rather smug now, making up for the previous strangeness. 

"We all say things we don't mean when we're being restrained by our mortal enemies," Stiles deadpanned. "We need to tie him up with something... and if you don't mind, dosing him on the regular would be good."

"Noted," Tracey said, and poisoned Donovan again. Lucas moved closer, and poked Donovan in the leg; he did not respond. 

"We don't have anything to tie him up with," Theo said. They walked over to the box of serum, and Theo let Stiles chuck in the syringe before he closed it up and picked it up. "I know," Stiles said. "Nothing that would hold him, anyway, not here. We'll have to drop by my house, I've got some leftover stuff from full moons, back when everyone needed chaining up unless we wanted them to go on a rampage."

"Are they strong?" Theo asked.

"The chain could hold Liam, sort of." Stiles said. "The cuffs almost didn't hold Malia. I got them replaced, but I don't know if they're any better now."

"Right," Theo frowned. "So..."

"Rely on the kanima venom for now," Stiles sighed. "Where... we can't just let them loose on the populace immediately. We don't know what's up with half of them, and most of them are fugitives. Or will be if people know they're alive."

"They can stay in my house," Theo said. "My parents are on vacation."

Stiles looked at him, suspiciously.

"... And they're not my parents," Theo admitted. "So even if they did have a problem with it, they're too scared of the Dread Doctors to say anything."

"Huh," Stiles said. "Why not get them to go on holiday? Actually, properly get them out of town? Semi-permanently?"

"I said they're on vacation," Theo said. "That was true, sort of. I fired them pretty much immediately after I... well."

"Swapped sides?" Stiles said, sarcastically.

"You make it sound like a single choice made once," Theo said. "It was a lot of smaller choices made over time. And then a few big choices, all at once." And it was, technically, last time around. "I still did... some bad stuff, before... and we _should_ talk about it, but... not now."

Stiles squinted at him. "Fine," He said. 

"Uh, hey," Beth said, "Sorry to - but, we should... get going? Probably?"

"Yeah," Theo said. "We were packing up."

"Everyone, hey!" Beth called out. Stiles winced at the volume. "Get over here!"

Zach ambled on over, Emma trailing along beside him, arms wrapped around herself, claws still protruding from the blackened tips of her fingers. "They doing go away," She said, sounding down-trodden. 

"Neither do mine," Tracey said, as she came to a halt beside the ginger, Donovan tossed over her shoulder, Lucas to their right. "The power's a good trade-off."

"We'll figure something out," Beth said. "You might just need to treat them like fingernails. Cut them shorter."

"Maybe," Emma said, sounding a little more hopeful. "Doubtful," Lucas said, ruining her mood again. Beth glared at him. 

"Great," Stiles said. "So, we're getting out of here before anyone stumbles across us."

"Why would they do that?" Josh demanded. "Are we being looked for?"

"Calm down, you electro-magnetic idiot," Stiles said. Josh growled, but didn't lunge at him, which Theo privately considered a win. "Being amped up doesn't help."

Josh growled again. Theo's lips twitched. 

"Could we stop with the puns and get on with the moving?" Beth said. "Fine," Stiles said. "Fine! Don't let me make fun of the guy that tried to kill me, I get it. Come on." Stiles led the way out of the woods, back towards Theo's Toyota. 

"There's not enough space for everyone," Stiles said. "So you'll have to just sit tight while I go get... a car, because my jeep is currently totalled thanks to a man on fire in tiny shorts, but a couple of you aren't wanted criminals, so you can sit in the back of Theo's truck."

"It's not a truck," Theo said. "It's a pick-up truck, I don't care what the classification actually is," Stiles said. "No wonder your jeep is half dead," Theo retorted. "It's from the 80s, I'm surprised it still runs at all," Stiles replied, "And I'm not about to try and fix what works, and my methods have worked so far."

"So far," Theo repeated, " _So far_ you've broken down at least twice a week."

"Now _that's_ exaggeration," Stiles replied. "My jeep doesn't break down _twice a week,_ otherwise I'd never be able to drive it anywhere."

"It breaks down when you need it not to," Theo said, " **That** much is true."

Stiles huffed. "Maybe so," He said, "But it also got me to Mexico and back just fine, so I -"

"Wow you're annoying," Josh said. "How long is this going to take?"

"I know, it's a talent," Stiles said, automatically, then; "Not too long. The Nemeton is in the centre of the Preserve, we should be coming up on the old Hale House, and from there we can make our way back to the place we parked Theo's _truck."_

Theo sighed. It really wasn't a truck. 

"So..." Beth said, awkwardly. "You'll all stay with the truck," Stiles said, "While I go get a car."

The rest of the walk was quiet enough. It had to be, because Tracey was glaring at Josh to keep him quiet, occasionally stabbing Donovan in the leg to keep him down, even though she probably didn't need to - there's that sadistic streak he'd focused on developing, last time. Lucas was walking on Josh's other side, ostensibly to keep him in line, but really he was itching for any reason to start a fight, Theo could tell, and he was just waiting for Josh to do it first so he could blame the electric teen entirely. Beth, Zach and Emma were walking sort of closely huddled together, nearer Stiles, on the right, further away from the scarier bunch of Chimeras, which Theo understood. Theo himself was walking along right beside Stiles, on his left, slightly behind him, and between him and Donovan, just in case. Theo also had his eye on Josh, who Tracey was keeping nearby her for... probably safety related reasons. He hadn't... payed much of any attention as to how well they got along last time, but they certainly hadn't hit it off this go around. 

"What do you think?" Theo said, quietly. Stiles glanced at him, then sighed. "What am I supposed to say?" He said. "I think it's a terrible idea. We have no idea what comes after death, and even if it _is_ something, or if it _is_ nothing, none of that experience can be good to return to earth from, right? Especially since half of the people here, if there _is_ something, won't have gone anywhere good."

"Do you believe in an afterlife?" Theo asked. Theo was an atheist, perhaps loudly so. Belief had never gotten him anywhere good in life, and most of it turned out to be untrue, anyway, so what else was God but another human construction built for control? Hell on the other hand...

Hell definitely existed.

But - well, in terms of belief, the Sheriff, while not particularly loud about it, _was_ religious. He did believe in a god, he believed in heaven, he believed in hell. So, did Stiles? 

"There's not nothing," Stiles said. "I've died, remember? If you can die and come back, that means there must be _something._ I don't know about a God, and I wouldn't want to, and I don't know about a heaven, and I don't know about a hell. But... maybe some sort of plane of existence. A place for dead souls to be stored. Otherwise how could they be restored? How could that-" He pointed at the box, "Work?"

"I guess," Theo said. "But... do you - do you think, that..."

"After dying, coming back changes you?" Stiles pressed his lips together. "It did me," He said, with finality. "It changed Scott, at least a little, and it changed Allison, a little more than Scott. I think you have to be susceptible to it. And I think it changes, depending on where you go. We went into the Nemeton, a kind of - shared - something? ... super-consciousness, Deaton called it. I looked it up after. It's... like, a plane of higher being. Above human levels of conscious awareness. Uh, Wikipedia redirects you to higher consciousness, which starts talking about gods. And, Merriam defined it - 'transcending human consciousness', or - something like.. 'having the highest consciousness above the normal range of attention', or... something."

"So you transcended?" Theo asked, eyebrows raising. Stiles winced. "The Nemeton is... something like a god, I guess," He said, uncomfortable. "We sacrificed ourselves to it. Moved onto it's plane of existence. It can give you stuff in return for blood, which comes up in religions a lot... so... technically? But it's not a good thing, or Deaton didn't phrase it like it was, and... he knows what he's talking about. 'A darkness around your hearts'. We... opened a door. It was how the nogitsune got in. Dying does that, I think. It makes you more susceptible to the bad things in life. In the world or yourself."

Did Theo die, technically, when he went to Hell, or was he just pulled, body and soul, into another realm? Was it... actually _Hell,_ hell, or just... some other dimension? A pocket reality. His own _personal_ hell, but not literal Hell.

Theo was getting a headache. 

"That... doesn't sound good," Theo said. 

"Understatement," Stiles said, dryly. "So, no. I don't think this was a good idea. But what else do we have?" The question was rhetorical, but Theo answered it anyway.

"Nothing, really," He said. "We're running out of time," He removed one hand from the box, carefully, to pinch the space between his brows. "The Doctors are speeding up."

"They are?" Stiles said, sounding wary. Theo readjusted his grip on the box, and sighed, nodding. "Beth... I wasn't expecting to see her," He said. "Zach... maybe. But Beth? They don't usually move on that quickly. We haven't heard about either going missing yet, and that always happens first, doesn't it?"

"... I've been watching the reports," Stiles admitted. "Nobody's sent anything in for Beth, yet, but I don't know about Zach I... got distracted."

"Distracted?" Theo frowned at him.

"Distracted," Stiles repeated, coolly. Again, the scent of guilt from his chemo signals, and if Theo really concentrated, the slightest hint of Malia flares from the skin of his left wrist, like she'd held it in her hand for a minute or so, comforting, or something like it. Recently.

Theo pressed his lips together. "Alright," He said, and didn't push. 

Stiles looked at him weirdly, then cleared his throat. "We're here," He said, gesturing to the Hale house. "I'll bring the truck up out front, and then go grab... Melissa probably won't mind me borrowing her car..." He trailed off towards the end, the last few words being muttered. "I'll be back in a few minutes," He said, and wandered off into the forest. Theo trusted his navigation here enough to let him go alone, and even if he _did_ stumble across someone, it was unlikely to be anyone other than Lydia and Parrish. 

"Okay," Theo took a breath. "We might as well hold up in the house..."

They headed on into the building. It was as worn down and burnt up a husk as ever, and the expressions of the gathered teens clearly did not find it a promising place to stay in for any length of time. 

"It's just for now," Theo said. "I've got a house we can all stay in," He continued. 

"No parents?" Josh asked, eyebrow raised. Theo looked at him, steady. "No parents," He confirmed expression daring. Josh did not take him up on it; the boy just grunted and dropped down onto the second step of the central staircase.

"This would have been a pretty grand house, before..." Emma said, tone hushed, like she thought speaking at a normal volume would be disrespectful to the people that died here. 

"It was," Theo said. "I was... nine? When it burnt down. I remember exploring the woods with Stiles - the place was... pure white. The outside was kind of intimidating. It looked... out of place, out here. And the people inside weren't the most inviting. The kids went to a different elementary school and middle school, so we didn't know them. And the teenagers were too old for us to be really aware of." Theo looked around. "It's... strange. I left... after the fire, but - before I could come out here and have a look."

"You've known Stiles for a long time, then?" Tracey asked.

"Not... technically," Theo said. "I came back this month. I was gone for... over five years?"

Tracey nodded. 

"Tragic," Josh said, dry and sarcastic. Theo shrugged. Treated it like it wasn't. "In a way," He said. "I was taken by the Dread Doctors. Killed my sister for her heart," He tapped his chest. "Hence; chimera. Two sets of DNA. That's why you were chosen," He glances around at them. "You're all genetic chimeras. It wouldn't have worked if you weren't."

"Great," Zach said. "So I'm a freak of nature as well as a freak of science."

"Embrace it," Tracey advised. 

"But don't let it consume you," Theo warned. "A loss of control is dangerous for any of us, natural or not. It's far more dangerous for the weakest of us than even for the strongest of normal humans. We've got twice, three times the power of them on any given day. And if we go on a rampage, then they find out. And when they find out, _hunters_ find out."

" _Great,"_ Beth said, sounding slightly hysterical, hands shaking still. "Just great!"

"I'm telling you to prepare you," Theo said. "Being a supernatural creature, whether you came about it like we did or like the rest of them do, makes you as much a target as being a high profile politician, except fewer people would care if you died, and more people would happily burn you alive."

Beth laughed. "Great!" She repeated. "Can I find out what the fuck I am now so I can go _home?"_

"You can't," Theo said, heavily, "Not yet. But we can get you a burner phone so you can call your parents."

Beth looked at him, expression pained and conflicted.

"You don't want to hurt them," Theo said. "And you might, if you don't know how to handle yourself now." Beth's expression crumpled, but she nodded. She sat down on the floor, against the wall, and Zach sat next to her, hunched forward slightly. Emma stayed standing, but drifted closer to them, arms still wrapped around herself, in an attempt to keep her needle-nails safely away from stabbing anyone. 

Theo wondered how things would have gone if he'd had more serum, last time. It's not like these people hadn't been there, he just hadn't picked them. The thought wasn't very useful, or particularly a path that he wanted to go down, so Theo pushed it aside. 

"Do you know what you're combinations of?" Theo asked the gathered chimeras. 

"I don't really remember much," Zach said. "It's all... fuzzy."

"Well, people keep calling me a 'kanima'," Tracey said. 

"Yeah," Theo nodded. "You're a werewolf/kanima hybrid. I'm being frank - most of you will have some werewolf in you. Its a solid base, but they don't always use it. Donovan," He gestured to the unconscious man lying on the ground in the centre of their sad little circle, "Is a wendigo/lamprey combination. For something more normal - Hayden is a werewolf/werejaguar combination. I'm a werewolf/werecoyote combination. Lucas is... most likely a werewolf/scorpion merger." Lucas perked up, grinning. "Cool," He said.

Theo sighed. "But until we do some testing, we can't be sure about the rest of you."

"You... mean - Hayden, with... saying that... you mean there's more of us out there?" Emma asked, softly. 

"Yeah," Theo responded. "Corey Bryant, Hayden Romero. You're not even close to being alone."

"You were for a long time though, weren't you?" Emma guessed, eyes piercing. Theo blinked. "Well," He said. "The Doctors aren't known for keeping us around."

"Over five years, huh?" Lucas muttered, grimacing. Theo looked away. 

"Jesus," Zach said. " _God,_ this _sucks."_

"Not really," Tracey said. "I haven't ever felt better than I do now."

"... Physically, maybe," Beth said. "But I don't know. There's this... itch, under my skin, I can't explain it. I'm all... _jittery_ ," She gestured with her left, currently shaking, hand - which Theo had struck as being panic-induced... but could indeed potentially be a sign post for something more than that. 

"Well, what can you do?" Tracey asked. "I don't know," Beth said. "Before I died my fingernails came off and I ran away from Malia Tate and backhanded her into a locker and then I died. I - the same day this all started happening I started bleeding mercury. Whatever they did to me I was..." She looked down. "I was unstable," She said. "I don't think any of it really _worked,_ except the strength."

"We were all unstable," Zach said. "That was the point."

Beth nodded, miserably. "I know," She said. "But I don't have anything you guys have. Mostly. No glowing eyes, or stronger senses... that I can tell, anyway."

Did they rush it? Theo wondered. Last time she'd come later, but from what he'd heard it happened the same way... so had they rushed the surgery too, in the previous timeline? Just, in this timeline, they did it earlier as well?

Theo ran a hand through his hair, then turned around, box under one arm, and looked out the window. Stiles wasn't back yet. 

"He probably thought to just get the bigger car first," Beth said, reasonably. "And then he'll drive one while Melissa drives the other."

Theo winced, but that wasn't exactly the worst idea. Melissa... was trustworthy, with this. Though she wouldn't be pleased to see two people that tried to kill Stiles hanging around, that was for sure, and the same could be said about those that attacked her son - but, of course, even more so - however... she's a nurse, first and foremost. And these are kids that need help. Need healing, if not exactly physically. Though, technically, they do need _supernatural_ physical therapy to make sure everything is in working order after being, well... failures who died. 

"Yeah," Theo said. "Tracey, status."

"Still unconscious," She said.

Lucas kicked Donovan in the side, a little harder than was strictly necessary. "Definitely still unconscious," He chimed in. Theo sighed. Tracey rolled her eyes at him, and continued:

"I did hit him on a few trees while we were walking, so that's probably helped in that aspect. And the paralysis might keep him under for longer, I don't really... get how it works, exactly." She confessed, looking deeply annoyed at that fact. 

"Can talk and breathe but can't move," Theo confirmed. It was one hell of a venom, that was for sure. He turned around, and stepped away from the window. Put the box down, because he didn't really need to be holding it. 

"Neck down paralysis," Tracey nodded. "Should we wake him up?"

"Not yet," Theo said. "Need to chain him up in my basement first," He shook his head. "Not a sentence I thought I'd ever say, but there you go," He said, lightly. 

"Kinky," Josh muttered. "Super-hearing, Josh," Theo said. 

Josh sighed in response. "Kinky," He repeated, louder. Zach snorted despite himself. Emma pressed her lips together, and Beth sighed, looking tired. Tracey smirked, minutely, but she did glare at Josh, anyway. Lucas, leaning against a burnt-out doorframe, laughed openly.

"Clever," Theo said, shaking his head. "Haven't heard that one before."

Zach snorted again. 

"Look," Theo said. "While we wait, we should do something."

"Like what?" Josh asked, folding his arms. 

"Well, there's no electrical outlets still on mains out here, so you'll just have to sit tight," Theo said, dismissively, and Josh scowled, "But we could try and figure out what Beth's got."

Beth sat up straighter. "Sure," She said, then stood. Her legs were steady, but her hands were still very twitchy, shaking continuously at a constant, rapid pace. 

"Alright," Theo said, "Let's try and... stand still, first."

Beth looked at her hands, steadied herself by planting her feet a little stronger, stance a little wider, then tried, by the looks of it very hard, to stay very still. And she managed it, for the most part, except her hands were still unsteady. Shaking just a little slower, but not stopping, and she was strained with the effort of holding the posture. Beth let out a gasp, and her hands spasmed. She scowled, then looked up at Theo.

"Okay," Theo said. "You have no idea, do you?" Beth demanded, then sighed, and ran a hand over her matted hair. "Ugh," She said. "First thing I'm doing when we get to civilization is a _shower."_

"And _you're_ staying away from water," Theo said, gesturing to Josh. "At least until we know how you interact with it."

Emma wrinkled her nose. "Could we spray him with deodorant, then?" She asked. Zach stifled a laugh. "We all smell like shit," Josh said. "We _died._ Some of us for _weeks._ We were _rotting, burned, covered in blood and dirt and each other's rotting blood and dirt._ None of us are going to smell like fucking **daises**."

"I know," Emma said. "But - I mean, no offense, but you just smell... especially awful to me. I don't know why." She frowned, and then blanched. "It's kind of making me want to stab your eyes out, actually," She added, softly, hunching in on herself. Josh puffed up. "I'd like to see you try, bitch," He said, flicking out his claws, eyes glowing dully.

"Not enough electrics for that, junkie," Tracey said. "Put the claws away."

"Put _your_ claws away," Josh said, but he did. "I have a job to do," Tracey said, proudly, smirking at him. "You need to _sit tight,_ right?"

"Guys," Theo said. "Melissa-"

"Is this Melissa Melissa _McCall,_ by chance?" Emma asked.

"Yeah, why?" Theo asked. "She's a nurse at the hospital, isn't she?" Zach said. 

"Does everyone know everyone in this town?" Theo asked.

"No, but there's only so many hospital staff, and she's at the desk most days," Beth replied. "She bandaged my leg once. She's nice."

"Great, okay, we like Melissa," Theo said, internally quite relieved. "McCall's mom, right?" Josh sneered. "Oh, shut up," Zach snapped. "For god's sake, we're looking on the bright side over here."

"Can I leave?" Josh said. 

"No," Theo replied, at the same time as Tracey slashed him in the arm with her claws. "Tracey," Theo sighed, but it wasn't like he could stop what she'd already done.

"Oh, come on, I was hoping to do that," Lucas said. "You'd kill him," Tracey said. "Didn't you hear the rule? No killing." She looked a little disgruntled about that, but perfectly happy with following along, for now. Theo would keep an eye on the sentiment, just in case. Last time around she'd been his most unstable beta... this time, though, that wasn't looking to be the case - not in the least because none of them were _his_ anything. More because... different circumstances. They brought them back with... slightly more altruistic intent than Theo had last time around. And... this time around, there's that rule Stiles put in place, ostensibly just for Josh, but really for everyone:

No killing. Easier said than done, and even Stiles knew that, but... sometimes rules could be broken, if necessary. For now, it was better to establish the rule than to make them all homicidal maniacs. Theo wasn't exactly one anymore, and he wasn't planning on falling off the wagon any time soon, unless he found someone that just really needed to die, like Douglas had. Theo wasn't exactly the best benchmark for these things, he'd admit freely. 

"Bitch," Josh growled, using the last of his movement to flick out his claws again. 

"Sorry," Tracey said. "He was about to run off."

"I _wasn't,"_ Josh said. "I just need some air. I was _dead._ Murdered. By him," He gestured at Theo. "So, sorry if I'm not down for this."

"You were in the process of murdering Stiles while he was unconscious," Theo said. "I think my case is more justified than yours."

"He wasn't unconscious!" Josh retorted. "He was yelling some bullshit about his mom, I don't fucking know, and he was fighting back -"

"He had his arms up in self-defence, you idiot," Theo said. "Did chewing on electrical wiring fry your brain?" Stiles asked, having just entered. "I was hallucinating, you _dickhead._ Don't read about the Dread Doctors, kids, it reminds you of things you'd rather forget. And, boy, am I glad Melissa's waiting outside."

Lucas laughed again; at a look from Beth, he shrugged. "Entertainment city, over here," He replied, and she just sighed. 

Stiles glared at Josh. "Get up," He said. 

"Can't," Josh grit out. "The lizard bitch -" "Tracey," Tracey bit out, "- over here dosed me."

Stiles sighed, rubbing at his forehead. "Tracey, they're your problems. You bunk with Melissa and Theo in Melissa's car," Stiles sent Theo a glance. Theo sighed, and nodded. "And, Emma..."

"Yeah," Emma said, "I'll go with." Emma walked over to Theo. "Great. Beth, Zach, we'll take the serum. Lucas... I guess you'll have to come with us, just, keep your head down. And we'll all meet at Theo's house - we'll take the longer route. See you there." He finished, already moving out of the house. 

"Don't you need the address?" Theo said, grinning. 

"Fuck off," Stiles said, genuine annoyance - because the only reason he didn't was that he'd followed Theo there weeks ago and watched him play video games for three hours, which had been a fun waste of Stiles' time for Theo, but not really for Stiles, since Theo had made sure to play games that _they_ used to play on days when it was too hot or too cold to go outside, or they were just bored - and the other eighteen-year-old walked out of the building, box of serum in hand, Beth and Zach trailing behind him, Lucas a little more confident in his step. 

"Come on," Theo said, picking up Josh. "Oi," Josh said, as Theo threw him over his shoulder in a fireman's carry. 

"Right," Tracey said, picking up Donovan and poking him with a venom-covered claw. "Let's go." She said. Emma trailed after them; Theo's Tacoma (it was not a pick-up truck) was already gone, and so he simply walked right up to the passenger door of Melissa's car. 

"Hi, Melissa," Theo said, wincing. "Sorry, but..."

"The kids are alive," Melissa said, firmly. "That's all that matters. Get yourselves comfortable, guys."

"I'm not a _child,"_ Josh said, petulantly, like a child. "No, you're a grown man that throws temper tantrums big enough to kill people," Theo said, closing the passenger door behind Emma and moving to open the back door. Tracey and Donovan were already in, so Theo just shoved Josh none too gently onto the seat beside Donovan, and squashed himself in next, putting himself between the volatile teen and the exit. 

After shutting the door, and Emma - the only one really able to - put on her seatbelt, Melissa drove out of the preserve onto the road back into town. "What's your address, Theo?" She asked. "We need to go the shorter route," Theo said, leaning forward. "I'll just tell you the directions."

Melissa nodded, and Theo acted as satnav for the rest of the journey.

* * *

Josh promised to behave, tone sour, and so he was able to exit Melissa's car under his own volition, but, just in case, Theo walked alongside him as they entered the building, Josh following Tracey, who followed Donovan. Melissa came in last, and Theo locked the door behind her. 

He picked up a jar of mountain ash, and sprinkled a line behind the door. Melissa blinked at him. 

"They can cross them," He said. "... And so can I."

Melissa pressed her lips together. "What do you want with my son?" She inquired, more of a demand. "Nothing," Theo replied, utterly honest. "Nothing at all." And it was true. He really didn't want anything from Scott McCall. The best either of them could ask for is that they were friendly in this timeline, and that's only really Theo not wanting a repeat of the last one. He wants Stiles on his side, or rather, to be on Stiles' side, well, he has to play nice with Scott, and he can do that. He was willing to at least consider calling Scott when he needed someone in the last timeline, out of desperation, and in this timeline it's no different. They need all the manpower they can gather for the fight against the Beast, and that's just plain truth. Not something Theo speaks, or even thinks, very often. He means it when he does. 

Melissa looked into the living room. Stiles was arguing with Donovan about something, but not really; Stiles was messing with him, while Donovan was also trying to screw with Stiles' head. They were both probably succeeding more than the other would like. 

"What do you want with them?" She asked. 

"Just help," He said. "That's all. There's something coming, something big. The Doctors have been planning for it for a long time, but - I was a kid. I don't really remember what they were talking about, just that it was important, and - and I couldn't really understand them anyway - they slip into this, archaic French, sometimes. I couldn't make heads or tails of it. Something about a Beast. They almost succeeded with me, which is... why I think they're here again."

Melissa frowned at him. 

"Think about it," He said. "I'm their _only_ chimera that shouldn't be dead right now. Just me. Maybe they were... more successful than they thought, back then. Maybe there here again to check up on an old -"

"Subject," Melissa breathed out, eyes widening. Theo shrugged, faux-helplessly. "It's a thought," He said. "But if they got it so close with me, maybe they figured out where they went wrong. Maybe these guys are all just... distraction."

"If we're running around like headless chickens after kids being made to murder people, we won't look and see what's already under our noses," Melissa muttered. "And they seem oddly interested in us, don't they?"

"I don't know who it could be," Theo said. "It's not Stiles - he's not in his original body. And it's not Lydia, and it's not Scott, and it can't be Malia, and it's not Liam, or Hayden, or Corey..."

Theo looked into the living room, and standing there, the perfect excuse; Beth, with no outward signs of supernatural ability (except a little strength, of course, but maybe... with some twisting...)

"Oh," Theo said. "Oh, no."

"What?" Melissa said. She frowned deeper. 

"Beth doesn't really have any signs," Theo said. "Just the one - just super strength. Do you think - do you think they could have made a chimera with no signs at all? Someone who appears fully human, but - chimeras often forget what they're doing when they're 'transformed', so to speak, if it's a significant transformation from their normal selves to their supernatural forms. Like another creature is living within them... which is sort of true, for the procedure. The Doctors splice new DNA into you, shove new parts of different creatures into your body," Theo shifted. "It's like an organ transplant. Sometimes it _is_ an organ transplant - they take out a kidney and shove something else in. Space. Sometimes they need more space."

Melissa looked a bit sick, and Theo felt a bit sorry, but it all needed to be said. 

"What if... what if it's someone who seems perfectly human?" Theo asked. "Like..." He pressed his lips together. "Someone who would have been young, when I was taken. Someone who would have been in town. Someone like... someone like Mason."

"Oh," Melissa said, "Oh _no."_

Theo grimaced. "You don't really think...?" Melissa placed a hand on her forehead. "You do," She said, "Oh god. Okay, alright." She took a breath. "Would there be _any_ way to check?"

"... if he's a genetic chimera," Theo said, "That's a start. If he isn't, then he can't be."

Melissa placed a hand on her chest. She took a breath, and let it out, slowly. "I'll get the medical records," She promised. "Oh, Mason," She sighed. 

Theo nodded. "Thank you," Melissa said. "For what?" Theo asked, feeling slightly off-kilter; this was the mother of the alpha he'd killed. Melissa hated him, of course, but not _this_ Melissa. This Melissa had given him a pep talk. This Melissa had no reason to hate him at all.

Not that she knew of, anyway. 

"For what you've done," Melissa said. "For saving these kids. For helping my son. For helping us. For giving me Lydia's number, because that was especially useful when I found Parrish walking the streets on fire and half naked," Melissa said, and Theo couldn't help a laugh at the imagery, despite the context that he knew, and the lack of humour in the full picture that it painted. Melissa smiled, too, and he thought maybe lightening the mood was her intention.

"Do you have food?" Melissa asked. "Drink?"

"Yeah," Theo said. "Fridge is stocked, there's stuff in the cupboards. A pizza in the freezer."

Melissa nodded, and wandered into the kitchen. 

"It's weird," Theo heard. "But it's... like there's the same amount of anger, but it's less surface-level? Like I can ignore it. Before it was sort of... all-consuming."

"I'm not afraid anymore," Tracey said, sounding proudly pleased. "I feel more... sure. More settled."

"And you're scary, which I'm sure helps," Zach said. Tracey grinned sharply at him. "As for me, I'm still terrified," Zach continued, "But I feel less... disgusting? Less _wrong,_ I don't know how to put it."

"I feel less paranoid," Beth said. "I was so... worked up. Tightly wound. I threw Malia against a wall, I can't get over that," She pressed a shaking hand to her forehead. "I should apologise, at some point..."

"You really should, but it can wait," Stiles said. "Malia probably won't hold it against you. Probably. Depending on her mood. She'll most likely just be happy you're alive."

"Great," Beth said. "I've got a werecoyote annoyed with me."

"A werecoyote annoyed with you that might have eaten you in the winter a few months back, so, you know, progress," Stiles said, "Malia's nice. Really."

"You're her boyfriend, of course you'd say that," Beth snapped, then sighed, "Sorry," She said. 

Stiles waved a hand. "I just know her well," He said. 

"Yeah, like where her g-spot is," Josh said. "I will punch you in the solar-plexus and beat you with a lead pipe," Stiles said. "Wrapped in barbed wire. Shut the fuck up."

Theo snorted (remembering the echo of those words from another timeline), which set Lucas off into proper laughter. Stiles' lips twitched, but not necessarily out of amusement. "Great, only the assholes find me funny," He said. 

"Drinks," Melissa said, saving anyone from responding. "And pizza." The ravenous, recently dead teens dug in. Thankfully, none of them were vegans, so no special allowances had to be made. Theo did not have any vegan-friendly food in his house, probably, aside from... lettuce. And asparagus. He had a lot of healthy foods in his house, so he supposed if any of them _were_ vegans, they _could_ have made a salad. 

"Great," Stiles said. "Thanks, Melissa."

"Anytime," She said, squeezing his shoulder as she walked past. Melissa took a seat on the empty armchair.

"Hey, Theo," Beth said, "Shower?"

"Upstairs, first left," Theo said. Beth thanked him and practically sprinted up the staircase.

"Stiles," Melissa said, and Stiles glanced over at her. They shared a look, a short silent conversation, and he sighed, stood, and followed her into the kitchen. Theo eavesdropped, because he wasn't a total saint, or anything of the sort. 

_"Does Scott know about this?"_ Melissa asked. _"No,"_ Stiles replied. Theo was not the only one eavesdropping; Tracey's brow was furrowed. "Hey," Theo said. "Keep an eye on Donovan."

Tracey scowled, but nodded.

_"Well,"_ Melissa replied after a beat. _"... Why not?"_

Stiles took a breath, just on the verge of being steady. _"I..."_

Theo winced. 

_"It was a pretty sudden decision,"_ Stiles said, sounding sure. _"There wasn't a big window - we only had so much serum, too, and - and I couldn't just tell Scott 'oh, hey, we have resurrection serum in our grasp', because... we don't know who it would and wouldn't work on. I can't... if he hears about it? And gets his hopes up? A lot of people have died, Melissa. A lot of people we know. I can't stop thinking about - about what it would do to my mom if I tried it. And I don't... I know it's different but - with Allison... He only got so many vials. There's only a couple left..."_

Theo winced. He... he hadn't even thought about that. Not the Allison thing, but - Stiles' _mom_. Did the serum even work on reviving normal people? It extended the Dread Doctor's lives, but _look_ at them. Could it heal FTD? Or would Claudia Stilinski still be... in that state. Where even if he brought her back, she'd still think her son was the cause of her death. 

_"Stiles..."_ Melissa said, and then some rustling of fabric; she probably hugged him, because... that was a lot he just unloaded, wasn't it? Theo should have been paying more attention. He should know Stiles better, he should just _know better,_ in general, because he does. He should have figured it out. But - there's been a lot on his mind, Theo thought. He's been very distracted. It's hard to focus on other people's problems when you've got dozens of your own. 

_"I just don't think he should know,"_ Stiles said. _"There's... there's no more. We can't exactly do a test run on anyone, can we? We don't have enough left. If it doesn't work on Allison, and it probably won't - then -"_

_"Then he gets crushed all over again,"_ Melissa continued for him, very softly, almost too low to hear. _"You shouldn't have to bear it alone, though, Stiles. That's not how this works."_ More rustling; she leant back, probably, to look at him. _"You're a team."_

Stiles laughed, _"So the Stiles ban is lifted, then?" "It didn't even work in the first place,"_ Melissa said, with humour. Stiles sighed, a sobering sound. _"Not been as much of a team, lately,"_ He admitted, the sound of a wince to the tone of his voice. The smell of guilty regretful anger. _"My fault, really."_

_"I think it's a little bit of everyone's,"_ Melissa said, diplomatically, _"But I've found, often, that apologising can lift a burden. Even if you don't think you should be the first one to do it. Admitting wrongdoing, when you know you've done wrong, can help fix a broken bridge."_

_"You're mixing your metaphors,"_ Stiles said. _"You think?"_

_"Scott's not going to think the worst of you,"_ Melissa said. _"I don't think he could. Not if you tell him the truth."_

Stiles laughed, a harsher sound than before, missing any humour. _"Like he'd believe that."_

_"You don't give either of you enough credit,"_ Melissa said, sharply. _"You're honest when you need to be. And Scott doesn't think of you as badly as you want him to."_

Theo winced. 

_"Ouch,"_ Stiles said. " _Cut home there, Miss Delgado."_

_"I'm not a school teacher,"_ Melissa said, amused. _"But I'm right, aren't I? What you haven't told Scott - not this, but the other things you're keeping from him, because I do actually know you, Stiles, and I have for around eight years at this point, which is close enough to nine to count as half your life, and I know you're only trying to protect someone, be it yourself or your dad or your friends, but - whatever it is... you're keeping it from him because you think the worst, and you want to think the worst. You want, whatever you're hiding, to be awful. Because if it isn't, you can stop hating yourself for it."_

Alright, heavy hitting time, then. Theo drank some more of his soda, and eyed Tracey again, who shrugged at him. He sighed, and she looked mildly contrite for a second, which was once more surprising, before she went back to keeping an eye on Donovan, who was glumly munching on a slice of pizza she'd shoved in his mouth. He was still paralysed, because they weren't stupid. 

_"You sound like my psychiatrist,"_ Stiles said. 

_"You haven't had one in years,"_ Melissa replied. _"Which I still don't approve of, by the way."_

_"It costs a lot of money. She gave me my prescription, what more can she help with? Oh, hey, werewolves exist, and I died that one time, that one was fun. If you saw my face walking around town a few months ago it's likely that wasn't me, just so you know, but someone on a murderous rampage. Yeah, I was being possessed, just the normal stuff in Beacon Hills, you know how it is,"_ Stiles said, sarcastically. It was true, though. Marin Morell was perhaps the only person they knew that knew about the supernatural and was qualified to help people's mental health. Definitely overqualified for being a guidance counsellor, that much was certain, but... they didn't know about anyone else, did they? 

_"And I'm sure you're not selling those,"_ Melissa said, shrewdly. " _That was a week of desperation and I thought we agreed to never talk about it again,"_ Stiles replied. _"Low blow, Melissa. Low blow."_

Melissa sighed. _"I know,"_ She said. _"But I think this is somewhat the same."_

_"What do you mean?"_ Stiles asked. 

_"You can be... a little prone to self-destructive behaviour,"_ Melissa said. _"What gave it away?"_ Stiles asked, faux shocked, following words heavily sarcastic. _"Was it the illegal activity? Was it the involving myself in supernatural matters? Was it the lying to all and sundry? The RFID emulator that I won't disclose the location of and the keys to all major doors in the Beacon Hills local area?"_

_"Stiles,"_ Melissa said, firmly. _"I just... I think you should tell Scott, at least. What you're hiding from him."_

_"He won't like it. And it doesn't matter anyway, because it's standing right there. Or... sitting right there."_ Stiles probably gestured to the living room. _"Donovan Donati is alive and well. Nothing to hide, see?"_

_"It's a get out of jail free card if I've ever seen one,"_ Melissa agreed. " _Josh is there too, isn't he?"_

_"... Yes?"_ Stiles said. _"Oh right. Yeah, Theo's going to get away with murder on that one."_

_"Stiles,"_ Melissa said, more forcefully. _"He's been nothing but helpful."_

Theo winced. 

_"Actually, when he came to town he probably wanted Scott dead,"_ Stiles said, _"Knowing our luck. But he hit his head when Parrish flipped the jeep and now he's all goody-two-shoes, or something."_

Melissa sighed, but Theo's blood ran cold; Stiles was closer to the truth with that wild assumption than he'd hopefully ever know. It's just that Theo didn't hit his head; he time travelled, and he's not a goody-two-shoes at all; but in comparison to his previous self, he sure would probably seem like one. 

_"You don't have any proof of that,"_ Melissa said. _"You... you know people's circumstances can change, don't you? He'd been with the Dread Doctors for so long, hadn't he? People can be altered by the way they're raised. Most people don't see themselves as a villain, Stiles. It's possible, before he met you all, he really thought whatever plan he had was the only way. The only viable way, the only safe way, the only sensible, reasonable way to get out of this unscathed. What did he say he wanted?"_

_"He said, now, that he wants a pack,"_ Stiles told her, begrudgingly. _"And if not that, then... to just be a friend."_

Not _a_ friend, _your_ friend, but oh well. Theo could ram that point home later. 

_"... Does he need a pack?"_ Melissa asked. _"Is it... like with omega werewolves?"_

It's a reasonable question. But no, Theo does not.

_"No,"_ Stiles said. _"No, I don't think he does."_

_"Then maybe he's more genuine than you think,"_ Melissa said. _"He doesn't want a pack because he has to have one. And he could have gone anywhere, found anyone, but he came here, for Scott's pack. That's got to mean something, doesn't it?"_

He did come here for Scott's pack. That's the most accurate and most simple way to put it Theo's heard so far; when he came here, he'd wanted everyone but Scott, and he'd wanted Scott's position in the hierarchy, he just hadn't quite realised their hierarchy was more level a playing field than most packs allowed. And he hadn't realised - had never had the chance to learn - that no plan survives first contact with the enemy. Theo had failed miserably, and that was a good thing, now. But he's not failed yet; in this timeline, at this point, his old plans are still half in motion. On too much of a roll to stop completely, but perhaps not fast enough to be unavoidable. Theo might just, yet, be able to alter their course. 

_"I'm sure he appreciates the effort,"_ Stiles said, _"But... I can't. He admitted he was on a different side for a very long time. That the night - the night Parrish flipped the jeep, that was the tipping point, for whatever reason, that event and the ones following it were what... somehow changed his mind on his plans. And, he said he's done bad things, and that we should talk about it. So I can't. Not until I know how much damage he's really done."_

Theo put down his empty glass. That was not a good sign.

Theo... really was flying blind, here. He remembered how a... a late 2013, early 2014 Stiles had considered him. Forever wary, but... civil. And... maybe even a little friendly, towards the Skip, or Return, or whatever Theo should call the incident that sent him back in time or to an alternate timeline, or to an alternate dimension or - or universe _entirely_ from his original... and it's hard - not exactly to recall, but to figure out the differences. Stiles hadn't exactly mellowed out in the time between now and then, but... there were changes. Stiles wasn't hard to predict, exactly, because Theo had done it last time, and he'd done it in his own timeline; if you knew him well enough, you wouldn't be surprised by how he reacted to what you said, unless you weren't paying attention. He displayed everything pretty clearly in his countenance, after all. However - he was somewhat unreliable. You could predict, somewhat, his reactions, but not always where they'd lead. 

_"That's fair,"_ Melissa said, giving ground. _"But if you consider just one thing... I want you to talk to someone. Scott, or Noah, or Malia. Someone. Anyone. It could help... It will help. I promise you that much."_

_"If there's time,"_ Stiles said, not a yes but not a no, more a _"Maybe. I can't... say I'll need to. And - I know, I know what you think Scott would say,"_ Stiles said, _"I know - that what I think doesn't match up with that. But I can't see that look on his face again, Melissa. I can't."_

_"Again?"_ Melissa said. 

_"There's a lot he's never told you,"_ Stiles said, _"And there's a lot I've never told him."_

That was the closest she'd get to a confession, from Stiles. He wasn't the most open book at the best of times; this was not that. Melissa stepped into Theo's line of sight, a sigh on the exhale of her breath. "Alright," She said. "Just... promise you'll think about it?"

"That's all I ever do," Stiles said, wryly. "Might wanna make another pizza."

"Might indeed," Melissa said. "There's one more in the freezer." She brushed past him to get to the appliance in question, and once again disappeared from view. Stiles walked in, threw himself onto the couch. Stiles wasn't stupid - he knew they could hear him. But maybe he just hadn't been bothered, Theo thought. It was... like last time around. Stiles had told Theo a lot more than he told anyone else. There was this thing, with Stiles; if he didn't like you much, or didn't know you well, he didn't really care what you thought of him. He could confess hours of himself to Theo, but he couldn't say more than a few minutes to someone he's known for nearly half his life, and most of it was begrudging, and most of it was half-truths. And the most important part, the last part, was a bunch of fucking vaguery. There was a massive difference between 'I'll lose my best friend; I'll lose Scott', 'Good', and 'There's a lot he's never told you, and there's a lot I've never told him'. The latter is _as_ non-committal as a confession can really _get._

Theo didn't really count the part about his mother, about Allison - about the serum, because... well, it was something most anyone would think about, if someone they loved had died. It's not really a confession, to admit wanting to bring back to life someone that you'd lost. 

"Will the Sheriff be home tonight?" Theo asked.

"No," Stiles said. "But Malia... will."

"Sure she will," Lucas said. "You sound so certain," He mocked. 

"Fuck off," Stiles said, tiredly. "We've all been busy, lately." His tone was just on that knife's edge, between defensiveness and anger. "Lots of different plot threads going on at once."

"Maybe you should merge a couple?" Emma offered. "Help each other out?"

"Don't have time," Stiles said, wryly. "We've all got different goals with conflicting deadlines. It'd take too long to catch everyone up to speed."

Emma looked down at her soda. "Right," She said. 

Time. It's almost funny, how little they always have, especially given the current situation, at least from Theo's perspective. Theo thought about what happens in the next couple of years, and it seemed so stretched out in comparison. The first few Events - from Scott being bitten to now - it all happens in such rapid succession. They don't get much of a break at any point, and it's barely over two years of time. Two periods of one four, and then three months, is not really a 'break' when you're running between maniac hunters and crazed alpha werewolves, darachs, dread doctors, nogitsunes, and blood money manhunts. And then another three months until the Wild Hunt and then an _all out war_ breaks loose, and then, somehow, it's all quiet on the western front for a year or so. It's disconcerting to be back in the thick of it, though Theo had technically been there - what with the witches - before he'd fallen here, but... it felt different. The weight of what had pretty recently happened was still heavy on everyone's minds. You're not really far enough removed from everything - it all hits close to home, still, when it's brought up. No time to collect or to grieve, really. Just have to move onto the next thing that happens, and try to make sure nobody else gets killed. 

"You should get going," Melissa said, "If you want to get home before anyone shows up," She added, as she placed the new pizza on the table. "I'm sure we'll hold down the fort just fine."

"You won't be missed?" Lucas asked, snatching up the largest slice. Melissa looked at him, amused. "I'm a nurse," She said. "Active duty. On call, all times. Odd hours."

"Oh," Lucas said. "Makes sense," He concluded, and started in on his slice of pizza. Melissa shook her head, and refilled his glass of coke. 

Stiles nodded, absently. "Yeah," He said, standing. "I should go."

"What, and walk yourself home?" Theo said. "It's on the other side of town."

"I'll manage," Stiles said. 

"People are being abducted from the streets and killed, Stiles," Theo said. 

"And I am an utterly undesirable target," Stiles said. "Completely the opposite of what they'd want."

"They don't exactly need you to start out as a chimera," Theo pointed out, "With an organ transplant involved, they can make do. And what they want right now is distraction, and you'd fit the bill for that. Right?"

"For god's sake, just go with him," Beth said, towelling off her hair above the radiator, wearing some clothes his fake mother must have left in the parents' rush to leave. Perhaps it was to sell the vacation excuse? Theo would admittedly never no, and didn't rightly much care either way. "We're not about to run out on the Nurse, here. I don't want to suddenly drop dead with no explanation at any point, or for my fingernails to start falling off while I'm alone in the middle of town."

"I do _not_ need this," Stiles said. "I've lived here for a long time, and I'm not dead yet."

"Actually, that's not true," Melissa pointed out, tilting her head. "If I remember correctly, you, my son, and Allison, all died in a ritual sacrifice, so no, you were dead."

"I'm not _permanently_ dead," Stiles stressed, "And besides, that was voluntary. Involuntary death has not happened to me, because I can handle this shit."

"What is wrong with you people?" Beth said. 

"nearly two years of the worst kind of shit that could ever happen to a person," Stiles said, automatically, "The usual thing for Beacon Hills residents."

"Wow, okay," Beth muttered. 

"Just go with Theo, Stiles," Melissa said, finality in her tone. Stiles sighed, and rolled his eyes. "Fine," He said. "But I repeat - it's pointless."

"It makes me feel less like you're going to die," Melissa guilted. "How's that for a point?"

"Fair," Stiles grimaced. "Whatever. Come on."

Stiles stalked out of the house.

"Does he always walk that angrily, or is today just special?" Zach asked.

"Today's special," Melissa said, "Not really," Theo added. "He, uh, just doesn't like me very much." 

"I wonder why," Donovan said, grinning, a glint in his eyes. "I _wonder_ why - have you told him yet? That it was you who-"

Tracey knocked him over the head again. "Stop spilling other people's secrets," She said, irritable. "And drink your smoothie." She shoved a straw into his mouth. Donovan couldn't do much, paralysed with Tracey holding his jaw shut, so he mulishly drank, eyes gleaming angrily. 

Theo snorted at the image. "I'll be back soon," He said, trying for unaffected by the words the other chimera had spoken - and he wasn't really, because Donovan hadn't even gotten properly started. But it was the intent, wasn't it? It wasn't that Donovan was trying anything, really. He was just saying the truth. Stiles didn't know yet, that Theo had been the one to set Donovan on him. 

Apologise, Melissa had said. If you know you've done wrong. It can help. But could it here, really? What was 'I'm sorry' to 'I set a wendigo on you and I would have stepped in if it went really bad but that doesn't change the fact that I set a man eating crazy person's murderous sights onto you in particular for my own gain'. How did it mean anything at all? That was one thing Theo never really understood. The need for _sorry,_ because it just seemed so insignificant. Under the weight of everything else, it doesn't seem like a word that could do anything, mean anything, fix anything. Five letters and a few seconds of effort can't make up for making a man a murderer, could it? And - it wasn't exactly that he made Stiles a murderer, because he didn't, but Theo had made him kill someone, and Stiles had had to live with it, forever, what he'd done, and how it had made him feel. How he'd reacted. Maybe it was different in this timeline, with Donovan alive and kicking, or maybe that didn't matter at all. Real pain was emotional pain, and Theo had discovered for himself just how true that was; he'd caused it, in Stiles. Through his manipulations. And enough of them had been put in motion by the point of his arrival he wasn't... sure how to proceed. 

Theo followed Stiles outside, and climbed into the passenger seat of his Toyota, because Stiles had commandeered the driver's side. And he'd still had the keys from when he'd took it, last time. Pilfered them from Theo's jacket as he'd walked out of the Hale House, and the adult was entirely too good a pickpocket for someone with supposedly no practice in the act. 

Stiles started driving, and Theo didn't try to fill the air with anything other than silence.

* * *

They arrived at Stiles' house in the same silence they'd left Theo's. Stiles gave Theo his keys, then walked off, entered his home and shut the door quite loudly behind himself. 

Theo swapped over to the driver's seat, and returned to his house. It was quiet; it seemed that many of the chimeras had passed out - or been knocked out, as was the case for Donovan. Tracey was still awake, as was Lucas, but everyone else, even Josh, was asleep. Melissa smiled at him warmly from the couch. There was some recent movie playing at low volume on the TV. Theo had never seen this room so well-used, nor used for the purpose it was intended for. 

He wondered if the other chimeras could smell the leftover traces of blood on the kitchen table, invisible to the eye but not to a supernatural sense of smell, and just hadn't bothered to mention it. 

"You didn't need to do that," Melissa said, "But thank you. For making sure he got home safe."

"I've made a promise, Melissa," Theo said, "and I'm going to keep it. He's not going to die if I can help it," Theo wandered into the kitchen and filled a glass of water. Melissa kept talking, well used to supernatural hearing. "I appreciate it, all the same," She said. "I haven't seen Malia around as much, lately, and Scott's been working through some tings," She sighed. "And Stiles just... needs someone to make sure he doesn't run off half-cocked all alone."

"He's not like that, really," Theo said. Out of boredom, Tracey appeared to be giving Donovan a haircut. Probably a very terrible one, and she seemed to keep nicking his scalp with her claws, but who cared, really. "Oh?" Melissa said. "So he's changed in the past week without me noticing?"

Theo made his way back into the living room. "No," Theo said. "He's a lot like how I remember, really. Prefers a plan of action. Likes to be the one to come up with them, but doesn't mind too much if there's one in place."

"That's true," Melissa said. "You should get some rest. It's been a long day."

"It's only seven," Theo said. 

"And you've got school tomorrow," Melissa smiled. "I'm a mom, you know. Have you done your homework?" 

Theo nodded. "I'm not an idiot," He said, smiling. "I make sure to keep up while I can. If and when everything goes down, I can afford to slack off, just a tad. I do want to graduate, at least."

"And college?" She asked. "That's this year. You're a senior, you've at least thought about it?"

"It's... not been something I concentrate on," Theo admitted. "I just... kind of went wherever the Doctors took me. So I'd have applied somewhere in the next location."

And last time, he hadn't graduated. And he'd disappeared, and then he'd been a fugitive, so. But, really there wasn't much to think about. He knew where he was going.

"Well, what do you want to do?" Melissa asked. "Survive," Theo said, dryly. Melissa shook her head with a sigh. "You don't have to stay here, you know?" She said. "None of you do."

"Trust me, I know," Theo said. "I'm thinking of Virginia."

Melissa blinked. "Why?" She said.

"There's nothing in Virginia," He said. This was mostly true. Steering clear of the FBI increased a supernatural's chances of going under the radar, after all, so hanging around their hometown was not the best plan of action. 

Melissa laughed. "I understand," She said. "I remember Virginia."

"You remember?"

"We were there for a time," She said. "Lived in... a few places, before Beacon Hills. Rafael had to move around a lot, being FBI and all." Melissa pressed her lips together. "It all worked out though," She said. "Beacon Hills is... a good home, despite everything."

"I guess," Theo said. "Maybe I've been gone for too long."

"I wouldn't say maybe, there, Theo," Melissa said. "I'm sorry that happened to you. What the Dread Doctors did... I'm sorry nobody realised something was going on."

Theo shrugged. The Dread Doctors simply... were that. Tara had made it... clearer, how much Theo's own choices were to blame. The doctors had put it in words; a mundane evil. 

"You should get some rest," Melissa repeated, more emphasis on the should - or not, not more - just, a different tone underlying the word. "Yeah," Theo agreed. He stood and went upstairs, no other words spoken, and went into his room. It was the same as he'd last left it, because of course it would be, but the sight gave him a sort of great comfort, all the same. He wouldn't have the house long, if he went with going to hell again, though swinging that this time would be difficult, and was 90% certain he wouldn't go through with it if he tried. 

The other 10% is telling him he doesn't really have a choice. He made his bed, by this point, and he's learnt enough to lie in it. Hasn't he?

Theo collapsed onto bed, and fell asleep quicker than he normally would, thoughts walking meandering circles around his head. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't really know the newbies all that well so if I avoid writing them too much & their dialogue is shit there's your answer
> 
> btw 'newbies' means 'mccall pack 2.0' + 'chimera pack' so like sorry guys

**Author's Note:**

> idk man
> 
> why do i keep starting new steo fics and not finishing old ones i'm,,,,, terrible


End file.
